Quarry (Dakbar, Nichole, Kathryn)

[Cadet Nichole Sullivan]

Nichole lightly coughed then waved a hand back an forth at some of the dust that had sprung up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Nichole replied to Kathryn, in a reasuring tone as well as smile. "Definately not the first or worst fall I've ever had and believe you me it won't be the last." Her eyes then darted to Dakbar. "Not the proper size? Well that would explain it then." Nichole said as she got to her feet dusting herself off in the process.

"Wait a minute, if it's not the proper size how do you plan on diving?" Nichole stepped back when she saw Dakbar pull out a knife. She was filled with fear, and in showed on her face. Eyes wide, eyebrows up, and a dropped jaw. Not to mention the step back Nichole had taken.

"Hey, I was just-" Nichole stopped mid sentence as she watched Dakbar cut himself free. Nichole's rapid breathing slowed to normal as did her heartbeat. I guess I'll never get used to knives... Nichole had been raised with Klingons for a bit, and knew their ways, but a knife could still fill her with fear, especially when she had seen her father in a pool of blood with one sticking out of his side.

Nichole took a deep breath then let it out. Sitting back down on the ground Nichole rubbed her forehead. "Suggestions people?" At the moment she was still a little rattled and needed a minute to clear her mind.

Tag: Both.

[Cadet Kathryn Burnham]

When Dakbar's eyes met hers, there was no doubting that time that he was looking at her. His gaze seemed to change somehow, and Kathryn found all of a sudden that, contrary to her every expectation, her breath caught in her throat a moment. His look was... almost tender?

And then the moment was gone, and he was ranting and raving again. Kathryn shook her head, trying to push away the feeling, but it wouldn't disappear.

As Dakbar pulled his knife out and Nichole stepped backwards, Kathryn put her hands gently on the other girl's shoulders. She could tell that she was tense... and realised that she knew so little about Nichole. And Dakbar, come to that. Mental note... get to know your fellow cadets better before being thrown into potentially dangerous situations with them. She filed that one for the future.

"Suggestions people?" said Nichole, as Dakbar finished slashing his suit from his body.

"Don't look at me like it's my fault," she snapped at him, angry that he was angry at her, and angry that he'd upset Nichole. "If you hadn't stormed off maybe you could have told me what size you are. I don't make a habit of studying the dimensions of other cadets." She folded her arms across her chest, defiantly. "As for the problem..." She looked at Nichole, her eyes softening, then back to Dakbar. "Well, I see two options. Either you go back and get another suit, or we do the diving. You'll just have to direct from up here."

Tag: both

[Cadet Helik Dakbar]

"Hey, I was just-"

As he made the final slice through the wetsuit, he looked up and saw Nichole's expression. He had seen that look before, when he was part of the Cardassian army. Immediately he wanted to apologize, but Kathryn intercepted the emotions, too. Her arm looked comforting. It had been a long time since someone had held him like that and he quickly looked away.

"You were in charge of the dive gear," Dakbar spat, standing up to his full height and looking down at Kathryn, "my measurements are in the cadet database, just as I am sure yours are." He made a mental note to look them up later. Dusting himself off, he said, "we are quickly losing time." He surveyed the area again. "Forty meters down. It looks like a small embankment." He grabbed the rope and with one swing of the shovel, he hammered a stake into the ground, which should have given him an indication of the softness of the area holding the stake in place. Tying the rope to the stake, he handed the looped excess to Kathryn, "quickly," he said to the two of them.

Tag Either

[Cadet Kathryn Burnham]

Dakbar towered over her as he stood up, but for once Kathryn didn't feel bothered by it. She was full of righteous anger and a sense of protectiveness for Nichole, and she refused to be intimidated by a moody Cardassian.

"Oh yes," she replied, caustically, "and how was I supposed to access the database when you were the one half way around the quarry with the PADD with the mission data on it? I don't make a habit of carrying around a library of reference materials with me."

She folded her arms across her chest defiantly as he drove the stake into the ground and set up the equipment for them to climb down to the edge of the water. She took the loop of rope from him.

"I'll go first, then," she said sarcastically, since he hadn't given her much choice, and fastened the rope to the carabiner on her waist belt. Forty metres was quite a way down, but athletic pursuits were among that very small list of things that she felt she was good at. With agility and grace she dropped down over the side of the cliff, hanging on tight to the rope and finding a footing on the rocky wall of the cliff quite easily. She dropped down a few metres, then looked back up.

"OK, I'm clear of the top," she shouted, as she started to make her way down the wall.

Tag: Either

[Cadet Nichole Sullivan]

Nichole had been thankful for the amount of comfort Kathryn had been able to provide, a little was better than non. However the bickering continued from there on. That particular part of this training mission was something they all could do without, but it didn't look or sound like it would end, at least until they were underwater. The diving was sure to be the best part of the mission because it would be silient. Nickky was normally one that liked to help others settle a dispute, but this wasn't that type she could help with or at least she just suspected.

Getting her bearings and head on straight she stood up and dusted herself off yet again.

Nichole fastened the climbing gear to her and did a double check on the stake and set up. She heard Kathryn's call, and she peered down over the edge. "Ready for company?!" Nickky shouted down. She then glanced at their ropes to make sure they wouldn't get tangled up.

Tag: Either.

[Cadet Helik Dakbar]

"I don't make a habit of carrying around a library of reference materials with me."

He glared at her, "It's called a PADD."

She climbed down the cliff and he had to admit being impressed by her agility. She even seemed more adept at it than most. He was about to ask her where she learned to climb when he remembered he was angry at her.

"OK, I'm clear of the top."

"I'm not blind," he reminded her.

Nichole prepared for her descent and he frowned as she checked his work, but he kept silent. No sense making yet another female angry at him.

Tag Any

[Cadet Kathryn Burnham]

Kathryn ignored Dakbar's snide comments and slid a bit further down the cliff-face. Moody Cardassian. She was coming to the realisation that it wasn't going to matter what she did, he wasn't going to like it anyway.

"Ready for company?"

"Sure, come on down," she shouted back up to Nichole, dropping another couple of metres to come to rest standing on an outcrop of rock.

"Is everyone coming down?" she thought. She wasn't sure if she would prefer Chuckles to stay up there and grumble or come down and snipe at her some more. "If you want us to dive, you'll have to tell us how far down we're going."

Tag: both

[Cadet Nichole Sullivan]

Nichole dropped down the cliff, but not quite as gracefully as Kathryn had. She wasn't used to being on the edge of any type of wall. No, Nichole was used to farm land. On the way down she almost lost her footing as a rock slipped out of the edge of the wall. "Whoa!" Nichole held tight to the rope as she at the same time tried to cling to the wall. "Watch out below!" She prayed the rock that had fallen down would not bonk Kathryn on the way down.

Tag: Either.

[Cadet Helik Dakbar]

Dakbar felt a tap on his back and he turned to see the Academy counselor standing behind him with a strange expression on his face. "Cadet Helik Dakbar," he said, "you have a family emergency and are required back on Cardassia immediately." He handed Dakbar a PADD, "there is more information there." The man looked down at Nichole and Kathryn, "I will stay here and assist you with the rest of your assignment." It had been a while since he had been out in the field and he looked forward to it.

Dakbar read the PADD, then it was his turn to look down at the two women. "I am sorry," he said. His eyes fell on Kathryn. She looked so vulnerable down there. Clapping the counselor on the shoulder, Dakbar said, "take care of her... them." With his eyes still on Kathryn, he said, "another place... another time." Nodding to Nichole, he turned on his heel and was gone.

End Dakbar

[Cadet Kathryn Burnham]

Kathryn dodged the falling rock fairly easily, then looked back up at Nichole.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, a teasing note in her voice. "Whatever I said, sorry, ok?" She was about to say something else when she suddenly became aware of the fact that there was another person up on the top of the cliff.

"Cadet Helik Dakbar," he said, "you have a family emergency and are required back on Cardassia immediately." He handed Dakbar a PADD, "there is more information there." The man looked down at Nichole and Kathryn, "I will stay here and assist you with the rest of your assignment."

Kathryn's mouth fell open as she looked up at the man up above her. What? Dakbar was... leaving? For good? Or was he coming back?

"I am sorry," he said. His eyes fell on Kathryn. Clapping the counselor on the shoulder, Dakbar said, "take care of her... them." With his eyes still on Kathryn, he said, "another place... another time."

"But, wait, I don't-" she started, her eyes wide, her expression confused. But it was too late - he'd disappeared off into the Martian landscape, out of her view from where she was, hanging off the side of the cliff. She blinked a moment, trying to get her head around what had just happened... his seemingly sudden change of attitude towards her. Unless, of course, his parting words were a threat of physical violence to be meted out at a later date...

Suddenly frowning, Kathryn kicked at the rockface half-heartedly.

"I hate stupid Cardassians," she said, sulkily. She looked at Nichole and sighed. "I don't understand men," she muttered in an undertone to the other woman. Then she looked up at the counsellor. "So, where's the first beacon?"

"Ten metres down, if you dive three metres out from the cliff you should see it." He didn't seem to notice or care about Kathryn's mood swings.

Kathryn looked at Nichole.

"How's your diving?" she asked.

Tag: Nichole

[Narrator]

Suddenly, the PADD in the counsellor's hand chirrupped. A message appeared on the screen: Return to the shuttleport immediately. This order supercedes all previous orders.

"You'd better get back up here right away," said the counsellor, frowning. "Something's going on."

[Cadet Nichole Sullivan]

From this point on things changed. Dakbar had left, someone else had come along to lead them and before Nickky had a chance to respond to Kathryn or utter any word about anything it appeared they were being recalled. Something indeed. Nichole thought to herself. A lot of somethings... She began climbing back up. It was always harder going up something than it ever was going down. Nichole eventually made it back up. Something then hit her; Right away? So...did that mean they had to show up in their wet suits? Nickky shook the terrifying thought from her mind.

Looking down at Kathryn she inquired; "Do you require any assistance?" Nichole was not planning to leave without her fellow cadet, even if it meant a reprimand. No one got left behind in her book...despite the pressing orders.

Tag: Kath.

[Cadet Kathryn Burnham]

Everything was happening too fast. Losing Dakbar the one minute and then the counsellor giving them new orders to return to base... So confusing.

"No, I'm ok," she called up, swinging herself back towards the rocky cliff face. Grabbing onto the protruding rocks, she managed to climb up quite quickly. When she reached the top she looked at Nichole, then down at herself. "Reckon they'll hold the shuttles whilst we change? I don't fancy turning up in front of everyone in this."

Tag: Nichole