Sky Blake/Relationships: Difference between revisions

[[Zhou Tai-Sheng]] approaches Blake in an Ornaran bar in 2392 to recruit her as the Veritas's strategic operations officer, having put pieces of conflicting reports and compiling everything surrounding Blake's status at the time together to find her in Bintac (her academy record, final medical reports, and the occasional mention in another officer's log, coupled with her time spent on Ornara previously, were the slithers that made up her file). Unfamiliar with Ornara, Blake 'rescues' him from potentially poor choices of cuisine, and instead brings him back to her small apartment to discuss her duties aboard the Veritas, where they remain for the night. When Brekka refuses the ''Veritas'' entry to the Delos system to pick them up, the two are forced to find other means of returning to the Starfleet vessel. She ultimately joins the crew on a provisional basis, much to the concern of a few members of the ship's senior staff.

Her first few days aboard Veritas included a handful of challenges adjusting to Starfleet life and protocol of which Zhou had to help her adjust to. The chain of command, general orders, use of certain equipment and transport systems, reading and understanding Starfleet charts, and learning how to use consoles - even though she exhibited a basic understanding of all this already through muscle memory and small amounts of recall, Zhou ran her through it anyway.

Frustrated with their new contact Reuima Casko after the crew is duped on an operation, Blake contacts the Meridian marshal through subspace and angrily confronts her about her bad information, much to Zhou's amusement.

At some point in late 2392, Blake's sonic shower is victim to a power surge caused by raiders the ''Veritas'' had tractored. Due to a lack of resources available to replicate new parts, Blake instead made use of Zhou's shower until the ''Veritas'' docked with another vessel willing to trade for parts they needed.

Zhou is said to have encouraged Blake to take the position aboard the {{USS|Syracuse}} to assist with the Orion Syndicate investigations, claiming that "it'll be fun!" and "it's just the [[Menthar Corridor]]". He rejoins her when the ''Veritas'' has shore leave outside of the Shoals for the first time in months, buying her a drink on [[Astrofori One]] to celebrate the one year anniversary of her re-joining Starfleet. Among other topics (such as Blake having a [[Sky Blake (hologram)|holographic persona]]), Zhou suggests that they remain for the [[Khitomer Centennial]] and assist with the {{USS|Venture}}. Blake acts as the old vessel's XO during this period.

Facing the Doomsday Machine, Blake expresses to Zhou her concern about being trapped in the 2200s and having to avoid impacting the timeline, to which he encourages her to keep focus on the task at hand. In the aftermath of the mission aboard the ''Venture'', Zhou sends Blake home to the Delos system on a few months leave to spend time with her children.  

When she returns to Cakapunnual, she's asked by [[Brandon Cormac]] to head to the main colony on [[Shadow's Edge]] on orders from [[Rosa Carrero]] - Blake protests, claiming Zhou should alert Carrero to the fact that Blake wasn't a marine. Cormac's response indicates that at least the bridge crew are aware of Blake and Zhou's ongoing casual relationship, with Carrero supposedly going so far as to label Zhou Blake's "boy-toy".

Blake acts as the ''Veritas'' XO when Carrero passes, and attempts to calm down Zhou when he becomes infuriated by Starfleet's new transfer orders for the Veritas. As they're en-route to [[Star Station Esperance]], they discuss what should be the ship's priorities, and the two prepare for Carrero's funeral service. Blake stands by when Zhou is transferred from the ''Veritas'' to [[Esperance]].

The recruitment of [[Evan Delano]] becomes a hot topic between the two, with Blake expressing to [[Mei'konda]] her frustration with [[Federation Security]] hiding an agent within the [[Reya-Laialara]] and not Carrero or Zhou of his presence in the area. Zhou attempts to question her about Delano when he learns of the agent joining the ''Veritas'' crew, but she vouches for the half-Vulcan, and questions the motives behind Zhou's casual interrogation.

In 2394, Zhou accompanies Blake's son, [[Ayden Blake]], to the ''Veritas'' and remains aboard during the [[The Irresistible Prize (Veritas)|the ''Astraeus'' incident]]. With the {{USS|Astraeus}} towed back to [[Star Station Esperance]], Blake and Zhou arrest Victor Yeager, the vessel's commanding officer.

[[Tasnim Shandres]] delivers Blake a message sent by Zhou, where he offers her the XO's position aboard the {{USS|Montreal}} - of which she immediately agrees to. They reunite in late 2395 when the ''Montreal'' rendezvous with the ''Veritas'' at [[Havley's Hope]], though Zhou is injured when his newly assigned vessel was attacked by [[Tholian]]s. Though she expresses frustration that Zhou was injured because he chose not to remain aboard the Bridge of the ''Montreal'', she is genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of her friend. However, that concern is overshadowed by further frustration when Zhou asks her to bring [[Roshanara Rahman]] and [[Evan Delano]] down to Sickbay to discuss prioritizing matters, confirming that Zhou is no longer in command of the vessel - thus her transfer to serve him is null and void. Later, when he arrives in a hover chair to assist her with anti-sabotage efforts, she merely questions whether he is technically meant to be out of Sickbay once before dropping the matter entirely and relying on his expertise of the ''Veritas''.  

Blake's relationship with Zhou borders on "friendship" and "casual sex" - the two work well professionally, but off duty, the two were near inseparable, sometimes to a point of fault on Blake's part. Blake formed an attachment to Zhou and the sense of safety he provides, and found it difficult to operate without him on the ''Veritas''. She especially finds it difficult to move into the XO's office - devoid of Zhou's belongings at the time of their reassignment, Blake felt uncomfortable moving her things into the newly empty space, and struggles to adjust to what used to be his position. This is perhaps one of the reasons she ultimately made the decision to relinquish the position and become a ranger. Though he is flippant by nature, Sky considers Zhou to be a voice of reason, as he has stepped in on occasion to talk some sense into inexperienced Blake when the ''Veritas'' faced complex scenarios during their early days. They swap roles in this aspect in the aftermath of Carrero's passing, and have seemingly shed the "mentor/mentee" relationship since then, standing on equal ground on most matters following Zhou's reassignment to Star Station Esperance.

 

Despite her attachment to Zhou, Blake is not ready for a committed relationship, comfortable in retaining a friendship with Zhou more than pursuing anything romantic. To that end, she's surprisingly comfortable in "seeing" other people.