Independence had stood a week in spacedock, receiving repairs and upgrades.  In addition, of course, new personnel.  They'd had time for basic familiarization, meeting their superiors and department.

Briefings had been had aboard station, as Decker overviewed the scientific data they'd recovered from the alien artifact.  Admiral Chichester had ordered the material declared top secret and classified, and any further data to be relayed to his office.

There had been a memorial service for those lost, let by Commander ch'Pertha.

There had been a promotion ceremony, conducted by Admiral Chichester, which saw Ch'Pertha promoted to Captain, in recognition of his new role and service.  D'rala had been promoted to full Commander at the same ceremony.

Now, fully fitted out, ready as they'd ever be... the Independence stood by for its next mission... moving out of dock to take up a position near the station.



The hail came from Starbase 24, lighting up Tsolo's board as the command channel keyed in, direct from Admiral Chichester.  It was general hail, to be put onscreen.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:39, Sun 04 July 2021.

Which Tsolo, who happens to be on duty, does.

The hail....

The main viewer blinks and the face and form of Admiral Helon Chichester the IX appeared, sitting in his office, hands folded in front of him.

"Captain," Chichester drawled, his Tennessee accent carrying through.  "Remote mining colony Coriolanus IV failed to send its last scheduled status update, so Starfleet Command wants the Independence to check in. You'll be the lone ship in the area, so you'll operate without access to further support. Coriolanus IV is a mining colony that recently discovered one of the largest deposits of dilithium ever recorded, so it is critical to discover what happened and protect the deposits."

"The system is at the edge of explored space, but it’s not claimed by any other power. Because of its remote nature, Starfleet decided to also send a survey and research team to explore the planet and its surroundings for new life and phenomena. The stakes are high, as enemy nations are encroaching from every corner, and each load of dilithium can power a starship task force."

"You'll need to make good speed.  Please get underway at once," Chichester concluded.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:07, Sun 04 July 2021.

Watching his friend's face on the screen, Ranse wonders if this might be the last time he sees Helon. He hoped not, but he had taken this assignment specifically for such an adventure, it was too late to wish for quiet post, even if he wanted one.

He watches the bridge crew closely, trying to get a sense for how tight a ship his new captain might run. It was the captains prerogative of course, and he would not judge, but he found it good to get a feel for things.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 02:23, Mon 05 July 2021.

Even as the Admiral was speaking, Lieutenant Commander Decker started pulling up all the records he could on the Coriolanus system, planet IV, and the surrounding stellar region. He also sent out quick messages to the various sub-departments within the Science branch to have its leads begin studying the region and system as it pertained to their specific disciplines and specialties.

ETA: There had been so much unknown, so much guess work in the last missions. He and his department would be as prepared as they could be this time. No one was going to die for lack of an answer he ought to be able to provide.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:27, Mon 05 July 2021.

Tsolo, meanwhile, asked Tumtum (as he named the comm computer) to search the files for any communication that mentioned the  Coriolanus system, planet IV, or the surrounding stellar region.

“Roger that, Admiral”, ch’Pertha acknowledged.

As soon as the screen went blank, ch’Pertha sat quietly a moment, considering.  Then, “Navigation, plot is a course, and prepare for launch, I want us on X* Warp.
Ltn Tsolo, reply with official acknowledgement and log us enroute; with ETA based on Navigation’s calculations”.
            * where X equals a swift speed; because this player doesn’t know his game data

Activating the ship-wide alert systems, ch’Pertha addressed the entire crew,
“This is the Captain speaking.    As of this moment, the Independance is on duty.
Our assigned task to welfare check a new colony on the boarders of known space.
We will launch in approximately 20 minutes”.
He knew that every department, right now, would be leaping into activity for preparation for such: sending the ship into a state of controlled chaos.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Wed 07 July 2021.

Adventure. Danger? Perhaps. Clearly the Admiral had faith in the Independence and it's crew, especially it's Captain.

"Sounds like we would be facing some serious trouble Captain."

He didn't add that he wished they weren't going to be alone out there, it was a given, but it was also a risk they had all signed up for.

"Unless you need me for something, I will be in sick bay."

He feared his department would be made very busy this assignment. He hoped he was wrong, but more often than not his intuition on such things had shown to be pretty accurate.

Mentally he was already preparing the kinds of drills he imagined they would need. Triage, for starters. Maybe setting up a field hospital, if they were required to set up on the planet itself.

He would alter the holo-drills to include more violent injuries, toss in a few faux-crewmates designed to be beyond saving to see how willing his people would be to ignore the lost causes when the situation called for it. Unknown faces for starters though, so sense pushing them too far too fast. Still, best to test the mettle of his staff as much as possible.

He waited for the Captain's permission to leave, and hoped to overhear an estimate of the travel time...

Petty Officer Amamiya stands at one of the benches in sickbay, cataloguing the results of recent blood work done on several members of the crew, and comparing said results to their recorded baselines.  Part of her mind focuses quite efficiently on the work in question; another, deeper part of her mind drifts, pouring over what she has seen in the last few days.

Azami is quite practiced at slicing her mind into sections, allowing one part to focus on tasks while another part considers.

The memorial had been moving, their not-yet new captain a fine speaker.  For Azami, it had been a disturbing affair – talk of men and women she hadn’t known, names unfamiliar and never to become known, and images of those departed with faces she will never remember.  Despite that, she mourns the losses; any and all life is precious, and with each candle extinguished, a little more light leaves the universe.  She had also taken the opportunity to study the visages of those about her, especially the command crew; these ones, she will come to know, and will benefit from knowing.

Assuming her stay here lasts any time at all.

The promotion ceremony had come in the middle of a scheduled test, and Azami had eschewed attending; really, such things are more for officers.  Eyeing the notices after, she had been surprised to discover not only one, but two important changes, both to the command staff: a new captain (the Andorian who spoke at the memorial) and a new commander for an XO.  Orion, she notes; a good thing she has kept up with her studies, the crew of this ship is far more diverse than those of past experience.

Her time in-quarters has been limited; she barely knows the names of her bunkmates.  But then, arriving, showering, and sleeping, then rising and heading straight to breakfast will do that.  It’s a habit not exactly conducive to developing a social network, but it’s her habit and Azami is content.  Off duty, she has explored her deck, and others, tried the gym, and hunted down a list of volunteer duties.  And now, she’s back in sickbay, unaware of the drama unfolding on the bridge.  That is, until the intercom crackles to life.

*This is the captain speaking….*

Her hands still, and Azami’s focus jumps to the information imparted.  New colony.  Twenty minutes to launch.  Enough time to finish her tests; there is no need to ‘prepare’ for launch in the sickbay.  All things are in their place, for the moment.  However, it seems likely Dr. Layne will arrive soon, now that he is aware of the priority of their mission.

Best she be ready.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:27, Tue 06 July 2021.

Tsolo replies Aye and obeys. He then awaits any results from the archives.

--Quarters to The Bridge--

D'rala had just set her workout  bag on her bed, returning from the holosuite, when she received the Captain's announcements.

Pulling her uniform out of its place, she paused a moment to gaze at the extra bar that now sat on the garment. D'rala had yet to decide whether or not she felt that she had earned the promotion. If not, she would simply have to earn it going forward, she'd told herself. Easier said than done.

The thrill of getting back into the action slowly but surely overtook her grim thoughts as she dressed, and took leave of her room. She was going to present herself to the bridge for orders.

Soon enough, she stepped off the lift onto the bridge, crossing the floor to wait silently until an appropriate moment.

"Orders, Captain?" she asked, when the timing was right.

T’Lara was in her office when the message went on the ship’s intercoms.  ‘A welfare check on a new colony’ didn’t sound very encouraging; if the colonists couldn’t contact Starfleet on their own, it must mean they’re in dire straits.  If they’re still alive.

Getting up from her chair, she turned toward the window behind her to have one last look at the starbase before their imminent departure.  The Independence was flying right into the heart of danger, again, and leaving the safety and relative calm of the space station was accompanied with some trepidation.  Justified, seeing every one of their missions thus far ended with fatalities among the crew.

The colonists are in trouble.  We can’t just leave them to their fate.  She reminded to herself.

It was one thing that helped her overcome her jitters; there were people in need, who depended upon them.  Twenty minutes couldn’t pass fast enough…

Decker quickly began pulling up everything Starfleet had on the Coriolanus system, especially planet IV.  There was far less data than he would have liked.  It was on the edge of known space, fringing Romulan and Klingon space; charted but unexplored until very recently.  The system was known to have a particularly dense Oort cloud, which calls for careful navigation. Because the situation is unknown, standard procedure is to drop out of warp at the edge of the system to gain a better perspective.

Coriolanus IV, as noted, had very recently turned up an incredibly rich dilithium find, a veritable jackpot if you would.  So far, only two ships had landed men there - the mining colonists and a survey/research ship (recently dispatched).

There is no indication as to why contact has been lost with the colony, as yet; a garbled transmission was received but it was unintelligible, and then contact was lost. It is known the colony had approximately 200 workers, researchers, administrators, and support staff. The Independence was updated with schematics of the colony, transmitted with their orders.

He assigned his department mates to dig up everything else they could find.

Tsolo's research showed that the mining colony had regular transmissions/check-ins until the last, garbled transmission - and then nothing.  Patrolling ships had noted their progress but none were in range or free to check on their status when the event occurred.  Something about a problem in the Mutara sector...
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:28, Thu 08 July 2021.

At the navigation console, Ensign Nyshuri nodded and said, "Aye sir. Plotting a course."  The Nigerian woman was young, relatively inexperienced, but dedicated and determined.  She'd also been, as shipboard scuttlebutt provided, deeply affected by the loss of her mentor, LT Mcreeg.

In Sickbay, the staff quickly scrambles to make sure things are in order as they assume the new CMO is headed back down.  Although hardly a tyrant, he'd already achieved a reputation as a stickler.  Only the memorial plaque for a previous CMO killed in the line of duty, Dr. De Montaine - moved from the CMO's office to the foyer - had softened that image.

T'Lara's office was not far from main sickbay, and - as part of the medical department - she passed through there often.

Azumi was privy to a pair of young doctors - both Lieutenants, and about half the age of Dr. Layne - discussing the situation.  One, a surgical specialist, was from India on Earth; the other, a pathologist from Poland.  The two were having a mild interchange, full of subtle teasing that came from long interaction and affection.

I think some of us were hoping for an expected ‘travel time’, if we can, please.
3 hours? 3 days?  33 years?


Ch’Pertha gave Doc Layne a nod of acknowledgement, and approval to attend his department.
To XO Vex he responded, “Stand down, Commander.   Take your off-shift, you’ll be needed for Landing Party when we arrive”.   Blue Shift was running the chair at this time, and he wanted Vex relaxed and ready when her time came to step in.

He quickly made some checks and changes from his personal terminal, as navigation plotted the safest and swiftest of courses.

When the time was right, he announced a launch over the ship-wide PA, with a short count down.
Then, to Nyshuri he said, “Take us out, Ensign”.

Acknowledging the Captain's permission to leave, Dr. Layne headed to the tube, and headed to work.

As he headed down the corridors, he pondered how much time they had, and if he could get a few drills in before they got there. He really felt things could go south, but even if it was a cake walk, it was never bad to be prepared.

"You heard the Captain," Ranse said to PO Azami, not a question, he knew she had. "Gather the staff on shift, and try to get a group comm set up for all of the med-bay staff. I would like to address them in five minutes."

Heading to his office he closed the door, and sat down. He called up his computer and called up the information he wanted to double check.

In sickbay, Azami moves with purpose.  'Under pressure' is where she excels.  Hurrying is an enemy; it promotes hesitation, clumsiness.  Striving for speed creates jerky movement, moving faster than the mind can keep up engenders confusion.  Timing is the key, timing and smooth, balanced, constant motion.  Lessons learned elsewhere, easily applied to this situation.

Analysis mostly finished, she marks the stop point for later reference and tidies the area.  From there, it's moving on to assist another med-tech with their armful of equipment, sorting her half and putting it away in its proper place, taking the extra time to ensure 'labels out, secure' status.  Another few seconds now could mean a similar few seconds saved in an emergency, well-worth getting snapped at by the CMO if she isn't quite finished her tasks when he enters.

While Azami is wary of eliciting the displeasure of those above her, she doesn't fear it; rather, if her actions are incorrect, criticism can only assist her in improving.  And if the displeasure is unwarranted?  It then holds little meaning for the young woman.

As she continues to make her way through the cleanup, always preferring precision over volume, timing and efficiency over haste, she keeps one ear open to the conversation between the two officers.  If they actually do speak regarding the current situation, she might learn something of value.  Learning something of value might lead to prediction of need for the future.

If it's gossip, then...she might still learn something of value.  Mostly about the officers, themselves; the gossip itself will enter Azami's mind, be filed, and then marked as 'unreliable'.

But when Dr. Layne enters, she drops any focus on the lieutenants and switches to the CMO.  Orders are relayed - to her, eliciting a rare blink of surprise - and she offers a small bow in reply as he sweeps past toward his office.  Then Azami turns away to carry out the instructions.

Moving from room to room, Azami succinctly informs the sickbay staff of the need finish their work - or put it on hold - in under five minutes, and be ready for the chief medical officer's address.  Next, she moves to an intercom to address the computer.

"Computer - Petty Officer Amamiya." A small line appears between her eyebrows as she concentrates.  "On the orders of Dr. Layne, please inform all sickbay staff through the nearest intercom that the CMO will be addressing them within -" time check "- three minutes.  Provide alarms to waken those who are asleep.  When Dr. Layne addresses the on-shift staff, please link him to the nearest intercom to the sickbay staff not currently on-shift." A slight moue of consideration touches her lips.  "Disregard for sickbay staff on the bridge."

If for whatever reason there should be sickbay staff on the bridge at this time, Azami strongly doubts the command staff would enjoy the distraction.  The bunkmates of those asleep...well, enlisted don't really have many options to complain if their slumber is disturbed by command staff messaging.

Finished, she takes up a task close to the CMO's office door, the better to intercept and inform once he exits.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:04, Thu 08 July 2021.

Precisely at four minutes and thirty seconds after closing his office door, Dr. Layne steps back out into the sick. He had gather what information he could, scheduled his desired drills, and took a moment to clear his head.

He wasn't one to drink on duty, his recent diversion in the admirals office being a special occasion, but he did drink a glass of chilled 'mountain fresh' water from the synthesizer. He was a firm believer in hydration keeping the mind sharp.

Stepping out, he noted PO Amamiya, and nodded curtly at her report.

Striding into the area where the staff was waiting, he began speaking as soon as the intercom was open.

"Medical staff of the USS Independence, this is Chief Medical Officer Ranse Layne speaking. As you are no doubt aware, we have received our assignment.
"Though routine on its surface, it is potentially quite dangerous. The planet we are heading to has significant strategic value, and is close to space controlled by both the Romulan and Klingon Empires.
"In addition Coriolanus IV is a new planet, and may have native threats of which we are as of yet unaware, perhaps of a medical nature, perhaps something else.
"I intend to use our travel time to prepare us for whatever eventualities I can imagine, worst case scenarios if you will.
"I do not want to cut in to your current work, or rest, any more than absolutely necessary, but I do want you all made aware of the situation.
"I have scheduled several drills in the holodeck. I will be stressing the potential for planet-side activities, the setting up of field hospitals, triage with as realistic a setting as we can manage.
"We will also drill on more standard situations, as well as a few surprises I am preparing based on personal experience, or events I have read about in Star Fleet history.
"Drills will begin in three hours. If you check the computer you will all see when you are scheduled.
"We are going in assuming the worst. I hope I am wrong, and would be thrilled to have you all call me names, behind my back of course, but we shall be working long hours from now until we arrive.
"We are not the front line, but we are a vital cog in any event. Our preparedness could be the difference between success and failure, life and death.
"Any and all personal concerns, suggestions or complaints should be routed to PO Amamiya.
"Layne out."

Releasing those who were not in sick bay at the moment, he turns to gaze at the doctors and staff in the room. His gaze was not stern, but he did seem to dare anyone to raise a hand, or ask a question. He hated that.

If no one does, he turns and heads back to his office.

"Let me know if you need me for anything Amamiya."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Thu 08 July 2021.

If necessary, Tsolo tells anyone who should know the ETA. He hands off manning the board and tells the Captain. I'll be in my Chaplain's office in case one withes to speak with me. (It's by the ship's library assuming the ship has one.)

Once there, he notifies the "bulletin board" for general notices where he is.

       From Starfleet Control:  the trip will take us 23 hours

All that noted, ch'Pertha waited until the ship was officially and actually on route, then informed the crew ship wide of the ETA.
He made some adjustments to the Shift Roster for that time, so that all Dept Heads, and his XO would be refreshed and available at that time:   'all hands on deck' as it were.

Until then, he allowed his various departments to do their relevant research and preparations ... ensuring that all information from all departments were concentrated in one location, for easy briefing of all.

After a period of time and furious activity, Decker turns to address ch'Pertha,

"Captain, I have the various sub-departments going over everything we have on the planet, system, and region, of course. Astrophysics will relay anything relevant, either from the records or from their observations as we get closer, directly to Navigation. I also have Xenobotany and Xenobiology forwarding anything of possible interest to Commander Layne." He smiled slightly, "Well, once they run it by me, in any case."

"I assume you'll want a briefing collated from them all before we arrive?"

Having delivered her preparations, Azami moves to join the sickbay staff, slipping in at the side of the crowd, more toward the back.  Certainly she doesn’t belong at the front, where the various doctors – officers – stand.  Watching Dr. Layne, she is struck by the rather fierce determination in his words.  His preparations make sense to her, especially after the explanations, and while no-doubt there will be grumbling, Azami has no intention of critical language, herself.  Her father’s own teachings were that preparation trumped talent at ‘winging it’ (though a combination of both was key to real success).  Best that they have a framework in place that can then be adapted to situations outside of their practice.

Besides, if the drills interrupt her ‘time off’, well…it just means she won’t be cleaning and inspecting the Jeffries Tubes on deck four today.  And if it breaks into her sleeping time, what of it?  Adjustments will be made.  And she has never been one for grumbling, in any case.

One surprise, though, is his insistence at any feedback going through her.  Certainly his body language emphasizes the idea that the doctor will not be taking anything directly.  That part is no shock; it’s better to have queries and questions be ordered and catalogued before answering, to prevent needless repetition and allow for the dissemination of the answers to the entire sickbay crew.  Efficient.  But why Azami?  The answer comes moments later: she is non-critical in comparison to those of higher rank.  Azami is no doctor, like the two lieutenants she overheard earlier; she is merely another of the medbay crew.  It makes sense to have enlisted doing secretarial work, spending time taking down queries and putting them in good order.  And her specifically?  She happens to be there, and was the first person to whom the doctor spoke upon returning to sickbay.  Unfortunate that it shines a spotlight on her presence, but such is life.

That it might have her dealing with less-than-pleased crew members without the shield of an officer’s rank holds little concern for Azami; she’s all-too familiar with that situation already.

“Yes, Doctor Layne,” she replies, offering a small inclination of her body as he passes back through the door of his office.  Straightening, the young woman immediately checks the schedule to see where her own drills fall.  Hopefully they will occur during her off hours, or the sleep shift; for the former, she can continue with her own work in sickbay, and for the latter…at least it won’t be another person from her shift having their sleep disrupted.

The ETA is only 23 hours, but Ranse figures there is time for six drills, breaking the staff up into groups of three, that would be two each.

He wished for more, but it would have to do.

He would be participating in all the drills himself.

Once people get to know him, they will add 'of course' to that though.

He shuffles them in such a way that the last four hours will be free. He didn't want to arrive with his staff exhausted.

From what he learned, the approach would be slowed by the Oort cloud, which was deemed cluttered enough to trouble to navigational deflectors. He hoped the Captain would permit him to be on the bridge at that time, but he didn't bother the man now. He would be shaking things out himself, no doubt. Hopefully there would be a staff meeting at some point where he could broach the subject.

Sipping at a steaming hot cup of green tea, he planned the drills.

The first set would be live combat simulations, focusing on triage. He found a few explosions tended to  either enhance focus or shatter it in most people, he wanted to learn who responded in which way. He planned a list of assorted synth-injuries for his people to respond too. Toss in a few who would be goners, to see who had the courage to skip over them and deal with people who can be saved. He looked at personnel records, to throw in a few holo-crew members that others knew to test who would help a friend before a person who needed it more. All variants designed to both educate his staff during the de-brief, and teach himself what kind of staff he had, good, bad or indifferent.

The second set of drills would be more esoteric, alien contact, horrible diseases, and fearsome flora. The crew would only get one each, sadly, but the unknown is often more of a threat than a flotilla of Romulan warbirds. As the planet was a mining colony he put the alien contact deep in the mines, maybe the colonists had disturbed a subterranean culture? He enjoyed letting his imagination run wild.
He created an imaginary disease, with symptoms, a pathology and more. A mental test, but make it gruesome. Push them hard mentally.
Killer plants were an old staple of his, and he only modified an old drill from his history a small amount. Amazing how people don't consider plants to be a threat. He would have animals about, the the plants would be the real foe.

When he finished he leaned back and ordered himself a Bento box, with extra Satsumaimo Tempura, and some chicken teriyaki. The rice was steaming hot, and fresh...

--Bridge to Mess Hall--

"Aye, Captain," D'rala replied with a nod. She crossed to stand on the perimeter of the bridge and watched as the current shift set their course. When the ETA came in, she took her leave.

D'rala's thoughts buzzed with anticipation too loudly to simply return to her room. Instead, she followed the grumbling of her stomach to the mess hall. She'd catch some more shut eye after the bite to eat.

23 hours and counting.

Azami is on-shift, and working hard.  The CMO wants everything in tip-top shape, and she has her own views on that.  Prioritizing accessibility and efficiency in storage seems to be the best possible choice...not to say that others are going for confusion and blockages, mind.

Soon the drills will start, and Azami wants to have everything in order.  She has already scanned the schedule and noted there will be four hours at the endpoint; while she would normally use that for work and volunteering, she has a feeling the CMO has chosen this deliberately.  And twenty three hours puts this square in the middle of her own shift.

Which means she's available, and the CMO has already 'noticed' her.

Normally Azami would assume that Dr. Layne would choose an Ensign, a Lieutenant, or - more likely - himself for any important work upon arrival.  But so far, the CMO has called upon her for assistance of a basic sort...not once, but twice.  There is the potentially that she will brought along as a helping hand for any serious work, and as such she should be well-rested.  Those four hours will be used for sleep, as much as it galls her.

But it's a waiting game, now...which means working.

At the Captain's orders, Nyshuri turned back to her board.  "Aye sir, course laid in."

The Independence shot into warp, a starbow of rainbow light trailing in her wake.

In Sickbay - and throughout the ship - the medical department received Azumi's computer-generated hails, and were attentive at Dr. Layne's briefing.  Many of the techs and orderlies reported directly to Azumi, and the doctors - at least the two she'd met so far - were casual and relaxed with her.

"We're all colleagues here," the Hindu doctor had told her.

The surgeon and his Polish pathologist colleague were respectfully attentive during Layne's briefing, and quickly moved to implement his simulations as required.

The first drills went pretty well. A lot of the staff had never been in a combat simulation, and it was hit or miss how people behaved. A lot of people tended to help friends first, even if they had relatively mild injuries. Others stove to save clearly lost causes, and in doing so caused some who could be save to die.

A few did well, but the de-brief was excellent. Only two of the enlisted got bruised feelings at having their mistakes pointed out. Dr. Layne was stern, but not cruel, still these people needed to learn. And he needed to know which ones could learn and which he would want cycled out of his command as soon as possible.

The second set of drills were a mixed bag. His new Hindu college was very sharp, and the Polish pathologist solved the tricky 'mystery ailment' well before that drill was over. Sadly the fearsome flora 'killed' the crew on that run, but they all took it in good spirits and he felt they learned a lesson in the unexpected. The final drill was a mixed bag, not everyone is suited to making contact with an alien race. The 'aliens' had been innocent of evil intent, but were difficult to communicate with. He had hoped they would use their judgement to defuse the situation, but instead they massacred the imaginary race, after two of their own number had been lost. He considered that one a draw, as a drill, but would have been horrified had it happened in real life.

The drills ended with a final debrief, Dr. Layne stressing the importance of the drills and letting everyone know they could expect one or two a month once things normalized on the ship.

An hour later the entire Med team was ordered to the holodeck, in a simulated red alert.

When they arrived, it was quickly revealed to be a celebratory bar-b-que. No alcohol. they were two hours out from the system, but everything else needed to have fun was there, horse shoes, music, and more, including an unusual activity from his home planet, something called a 'slip and slide'.

The good doctor joined in, and a good time was had by many, but even this was a part of his plan to make his command a team. And he felt like things were going well...

*some graphic stuff here, just to note*

Azami has the opportunity - thanks to Dr. Layne's orders - to introduce herself to most of her colleagues, and finds them open and friendly.  The surgeon seems quite amiable, in fact.  She moves around the medbay, doing her own work and collecting any comments, until it's time for the drills.

They prove to be demanding, illuminating, and ultimately horrifying.

The live combat drill proceeds in a less-than-stellar fashion, but well-enough.  Azami has no issues with triage, doesn't blink twice at the sight of carnage, and displays an almost preternatural skill at prioritizing with glance¹.  She moves from person to person, passing those who have been injured to the point of 'no chance at all', and working as best she can on the others.  But twice she makes questionable calls.  The first is an 'ensign' who has had their leg absolutely mangled, jetting blood from the femoral artery from as high as a handspan below their hip.  No chance for a tourniquet, and the damage is so vicious and pervasive it seems near impossible to get in and seal the lifeblood in the amount of time one has before bleedout occurs.

She fills him full of neural-blockers then burns his leg off at the hip with her phaser.

The second is a woman impaled by a metal bar; it's right next to her heart, nicking the aorta, and any attempt to save her from her position seems likely to kill her.  If left in place, she will clearly die, and soon; every twitch makes it more likely the artery will rupture.  Coordinating a small team, Azami cuts through the bar (again, with the phaser) at the level of the woman's skin (causing second and third degree burns around the wound) and carefully places the woman on the stretcher, the pipe-shard still impaling her.

Both are very risky maneuvers on people that triage would have likely left to die, given the limited resources and time.

Both are judged by the computer to have succeeded², at least to the point where they can be brought into surgery.  While there will clearly be complications (one man has lost his leg essentially just below the hip, and the woman has received further injuries), it seems at least likely the injured 'crew' will survive.

Azami feels a vague sense of satisfaction with that, but the second set of drills proves far more challenging.  And appalling.

She reacts decently to the pathogen, but that's all.  The two doctors manage to figure out the issue; Azami provides a pair of hands and runs tests as directed, nothing more³.  The fearsome flora prove to be the victors in that particular test, killing her two thirds of the way through the simulation - it's a humbling experience, one she files away for later consideration⁴.

The first contact....

When the shooting starts, Azami refuses to fire⁵.  When ordered to do so by the pathologist, she does not comply, arguing that there must be another way - no raised voice, just obdurate denial.  It creates strain between the two, made worse upon the discovery that the killings - all of them, Starfleet and indigenous both - had been over a misunderstanding.  She catches a few members of the medical team staring at her, some in annoyance, some in appraisal.  How had she known?

She hadn't, of course; she had simply refused to open fire.

She stands silent during the debrief, studying her hands.  Dismissed, Azami slips out of sickbay, unnoticed as always, and heads to her quarters.  There, she lies in her bunk, staring alternately at the ceiling and at her locker.  Finally, unable to sleep, she moves to the locker and removes her carry-all.

Quietly, she packs it full of her meager possessions.

Finished, Azami heads to the observation lounge, where she sits in a chair - off to the side, difficult to see - and stares into the void.  It's nauseating for her, looking out into the horrid emptiness, but she forces herself to continue, her thoughts slowly slipping into a numb, humming daze.

She has only been seated for ten minutes when the computer informs her of a surprise drill.

She's there, quickly - perhaps some more shadows around her eyes than usual, her bound-up hair a bit of a frayed knot - only to discover it to be some kind of a social gathering.  Putting on her pleasant mask⁶, the petty officer stays on the edges of the gathering.  She forces herself to eat enough of the snacks to be polite, and speaks to those who speak to her, noting their accomplishments in the drills or shifting into small talk as needed. At no point does she bring up any of the difficult parts of the simulations, and if any conversations turn in that direction, shifts to a different subject.

The moment Azami weighs her time at the celebration as sufficient to satisfy politeness, she thanks Dr. Layne for the surprise, then slips out of the BBQ and returns to the lounge.

She should sleep; she knows she can't.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
OOC - The tests results in the above post are completely based on Azami's stats, disciplines, talents, and values.  Thank you, Dr. Layne, for choosing stuff that made me need to consider those things in so many different fashions (also, Devil in the Dark?).  :D

In order, referenced:

1.  Azami has a high level of Medical, the First Aid discipline, and her highest stat is Insight; triage is rather 'her thing'.
2.  Azami has a Talent that allows her to 'always succeed at cost' when carrying out First Aid.  No idea if what I wrote is feasible, but that's the idea behind it.
3.  Azami has a decent Science rating, and is capable enough to do her job as an assistant.  Nothing special here at all.
4.  Azami has a ridiculously high Insight, and a Talent that gives her bonuses at spotting danger in a situation; I feel she would at least live more than halfway, but don't want to say anything like 'She would be last to die!' because dangerous foliage is a little out of her experience... ^_^
5.  Azami's Values are such that she will not open fire on the creatures.
6.  Azami is pretty skilled at hiding her feelings (part of her Disciplines), so it's unlikely anyone will see through this.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 14:39, Sat 10 July 2021.

Dr. Layne watched PO Amamiya leave and pondered her performance for a minute, before returning to the festivities. She had done quite well, though he was unhappy with her willingness to disobey orders without rhyme or reason.

Hoping her predilection never got someone killed, he focuses more on her excellent work in the combat drills. Top marks!

He was pleased that she opted in to several of the drills she hadn't been scheduled for. She was certainly someone to watch.

Of all the medical staff, he left last, after thanking the Operations staff for preparing the food and everything else, leaving them to clean up.

Heading to his quarters he shat, showered and trimmed his beard before putting on a clean uniform. He sent a non-urgent message to the Captain requesting permission to be on the bridge when they reached the edge of the Coriolanus system.

He then dug into the vids of the various drills, making notes and digesting what kind of staff this assignment had given him. They weren't perfect, no staff ever was. (Until after he got ahold of them of course, he joked to himself) Knowing the strengths and weaknesses was one of his many jobs as CMO of the Independence.

He knew just how lucky he was to have Dr. Verghese and Dr. Łukaszuk on his staff however, clearly Star Fleet had given the ship a high priority when staffing it.

FYI: I gave the Hindi and Polish doctors names, I hope that is alright.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:23, Sun 11 July 2021.

Decker will suggest to Lieutenant Saghalie that they worked together to pick apart that last garbled transmission to see what clues might be uncovered - not just bits of the message itself, but perhaps something about WHAT had garbled it. If the Comm officer is otherwise engaged, Decker will work on the problem himself.

He'll also schedule an 8 hour break for himself beginning approximately 12 hours before arrival in system. He'll make sure that the essential sub-department heads will get some rest and a meal at approximately the same time, so the department will be rested and at full strength when the ship nears its destination.

As much preparations as can be made, are made, before the Independence arrives at the outer edge of the Coriolanus system.  Unfortunately, nothing new of significance is learned.  The data simply isn't there.

Some departments hold intense drills, while others merely continue the work of keeping Indy up and running.  In either case, crew morale seems overall rather high, excited at the prospect of their respected security chief/XO having been promoted to their new captain, and a new mission to task themselves with.

The Oort cloud around the system is, as noted, particularly dense; and scans of the planet from THIS range are ambiguous at best.

However, as the powerful starship prepares to pass the Oort cloud, sensors do detect something unusual, an object orbiting in the cloud.



OOC: As the ship is entering the cloud, what is everyone's location on the ship? Please include in your post. :)  Also, despite the image, this object is in the far-distant Oort cloud, not orbiting Coriolanus IV.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:14, Tue 13 July 2021.

Jori is at the sec/tac station on the bridge. Seeing the image, she begins searching through the ship database to see if it, or anything similar, has ever been discovered.

Having met with his various sub-departments earlier, LCDR Decker was on the bridge at his station for approximately two hours when Independence arrived at the edge of the system. He and his team would have been scanning for subspace or other FTL phenomena at a distance, and started scanning for real space signals (electromagnetic) once the ship reached a couple of light weeks from the Oort cloud.

Once the object was detected, he focused all his attention on it, although he did detail a junior officer to continue scanning the rest of the system for anything else of note.

"Well...at least it's not the Klingons."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Tue 13 July 2021.

Having finished her discussion with the counselor, tried for a painfully short nap, and arrived for her shift, Azami is in the sickbay when her ship prepares to pass through the Oort Cloud of the system they approach.  There, she's caught up with calibrating one of the medical scanners that has been consistently off in its results when analyzing standards.  It's likely the machine will require a full diagnostics run.

First, she'll try rebooting it; doctors and scientists tend assume it's a complicated problem, or send equipment out for full testing, when oftentimes they should simply be asking their technologist to fix the problem.

Rebooting doesn't fix the accursed machine, but the calibration attempt is closer.  Which means.... After a few checks, Azami swaps out one of the tiny sensors in the sensor bank.  And done; these things are supposed to last for months, but every now and then one of them arrives already spent.

Relieved, she continues on with her work, blissfully unaware of the ship's discovery, and the concern said discovery has built on the bridge.

LT sh'Renmaa's scan of the Independence's database revealed no known ships or structures of this configuration.

Decker turned his sensors towards the object...

OOC: Decker, please make a test using Reason + Science, assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Science.  Difficulty 2.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:51, Wed 14 July 2021.

Decker's hands dance over his console for a moment, and then he lowers his head to peer into the scanner readout.

20:54, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 43 using 3d20 with rolls of 16,8,19.  Sensor scan of object Reason+Science (17) and Sensors+Science(12).

20:54, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 8 using 1d20 with rolls of 8.  Re-rolling the ship's sensor+science(12) with Tech Expertise.

That's three successes! Also, a humble reminder that due to Independence's Advanced Sensor Suites talent, the difficulty should be reduced by 1 - which you may have already taken into account. ;)

His two bonus Obtain Information questions (without spending the 1-2 momentum he generated - that should be banked):
1. What kind of power source does it have?
2. Are they, in fact, Klingons?
2. Are there significant weapon emplacements?

Standing behind and to the side of the Captain, CMO Layne is shaken by the image. He wondered at the scale, but didn't feel it his place to ask.

"It looks as if we can see the... inside of it?" He wasn't sure if there was some sort of force filed, a clear hull or an optical illusion, but he rather wondered if the Klingons wouldn't have been preferable.

If there was one thing T’Lara regretted , it was that as counselor she had no reason to be present at the bridge.  Under normal circumstances.   Perhaps she would talk with Captain ch'Pertha about taking one of the bridge shifts.   She did enjoy her work,  but wouldn’t have minded sprucing it up with a little bit of excitement every now and then.   That’s why she asked to join the crew of a spaceship to begin with, after-all.

She already made a formal request of the captain to join any away-team to the surface of the planet, in case he decides it is safe enough to do so.  Now, when the Independence dropped out of warp, she remained ready at her office, trying to distract herself by catching up on her reading about the recent Starfleet research concerning contributing factors to anxiety on extended space voyages.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:58, Wed 14 July 2021.

His services as chaplain not called for, Tsolo prays, takes a long nap, eats, and is at the Comm.

The ship's somewhat unhinged Andorian captain stood high on his command chair, wearing a phaser pistol and two swords; as he always did whenever he was on duty.

ch'Pertha sat relaxed in his command chair.

The senior officer's meeting they'd had prior to their arrival several hours ago (when Blue Shift again began) has been a productive sharing of information and thoughts; and ch'Pertha felt comfortable that the Department Heads were well ready for whatever they were about to encounter ... no matter how unusual it would be.

Therefore, the presence of the unusual construct on the outer edge of the Oort Cloud presented as a curiosity, and a challenge, rather than any kind of sudden threat.

He knew, from the talk on the bridge and the data scrolling across his command screen, that the various Officers at their consoles were already facing that curious challenge with efficiency.

"Conn, keep us on the periphery of the cloud, for the moment," he directed, choosing not to enter the Oort yet until further information could be obtained, "and program a defensive retreat".
And with Dr Layne's question, ch'Pertha nodded, and said, "And magnify the image, please".

"Lt Tsolo, analysis of any transmission or radiation signals.

Read them out as you get them, people", there was no need for formality right now, and ch'Pertha wanted to keep things calm with a casual level of communication.
"Your opinions at this time are welcome".



    This request had been redirected to XO Vex, who was tasked with choosing her Landing Parties.

Tsolo raises his right hand in acknowledgment and ensures that  thee communications receiving equipment is doing its work, noting and analyzing energies detected for any coherence.

As much watching his new captains style with his crew as the image on the screen, Ranse is gratified when the image is enlarged. Looking for any sign, symbol or clue that this might be some new shape or form of Klingon or Romulan ship, the Doctor was close to certain he would not find one.

This was something new... and how here, new usually meant dangerous.

"Captain, could you attempt to contact Star Fleet, and share this image with them? I am curious if they have jammed out communication."

He rather hoped the colonies problems were the result of jamming, rather than an attack.

Decker's face is cast in blue light as he stares into the sensor hood at his station...

OOC: I already accounted for Indy's advanced sensors.

The scans reveal the structure is at least partially organic.  Dr. Layne might best be able to analyze them. It's large - far larger than the Independence.

OOC: A Reason + Medicine check with a difficulty of 2!

Given the organic nature of the object, it's hard to identify weapons ports, but there are several... vents?  That could fill that roll.  However, no traditional weapons are present.

Tsolo, meanwhile, detects no active comms signals on any band that he can recognize coming from the object.  Or to it, for that matter.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:05, Sat 17 July 2021.

"Aye sir," ENS Nyshuri responded, her dark fingers dancing across her board, pressing various buttons and switches.  At her effort, the image zoomed in and magnified, filling the viewscreen.

"Retreat course plotted, sir," she added.

On learning that the ship is organic in nature, at least to some degree, Dr. Ranse heads to the science array. If it is occupied, he will ask to take a look, if it isn't he will begin scanning the ship and bending his intellect to determining the nature of the massive ship.

Decker glances up as the Doctor approaches, "Ah, Commander. Perhaps you could give me a hand analyzing this structure. From what I'm seeing, your expertise will be very helpful."

Decker stands up and offers his seat to Dr Layne, pointing out some of the more interesting structures on the display.

Decker will assist. Exobiology focus applies?
19:32, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 17 using 1d20 with rolls of 17.  Assisting Layne analyzing the structure: Reason+Medicine(15).
Ooof. Gonna re-roll that with Tech Expertise...
19:33, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 5 using 1d20 with rolls of 5.  Re-roll of Assisting Layne analyzing the structure: Reason+Medicine(15).
1 success

“And what about Signal Jamming, Lieutenant?  Can you tell if the structure is preventing Comms?
Active or passive?”

ch’Pertha gestured Dr Layne to a nearby, vacant console; “Would you like to make your own scans and observations, Doctor?”
He wanted the Science console left available for the Science team.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:38, Sat 17 July 2021.

D'Rala was sat at the desk in her quarters when they came upon the structure. She had slept following her shift, but rose early in the interest of being awake when they entered the Coriolanus System. There was a tension to the time spent waiting. After everything that had happened, it was imperative that she served this mission well. What that mission would prove itself to be, was yet to be seen.

D'Rala stood and turned the lights on fully (having been sat in the half light). She clipped on her equipment as she crossed to the door.

The bridge was her destination. The information coming in about this thing they'd come upon would be centered there, and so that's where she would be.

D'Rala replied to T'Lara's forwarded request to join the potential away team as she made her way through the corridors. She was happy to honor the counselor's request. T'Lara had displayed both deep bravery and compassion during their shared ordeal aboard the Artifact, and had even helped ferry the injured T'Lah back to the shuttle.

D'rala made all necessary gestures of respect upon entering the bridge before stepping to the side to watch and listen. She would message the other selections for the potential away team in the meantime.

OOC: Sorry I haven't posted since the update, was surprisingly busy this week and it got away from me.

Running all relevant scans as quickly and efficiently as possible, Dr. Ranse will make his observations then return the display to the CSO.

"Unlike anything I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot."

He nods his gratitude.
"Thank you LCDR Decker. Quite interesting indeed."



Per the bridge diagrams, there are only seven stations on the bridge. Is there one free that I might sit at? I rather though in such a situation all would be taken.
Also, should I roll something, or will Starfleet Command do it for me?
This message was last updated by the player at 05:12, Sat 17 July 2021.

OOC not sure how much of this is possible, let me know if I step too far.

Stepping to one side he quietly contacts the Medbay, hoping to reach PO Amamiya.

"Ranse to Amamiya. Can you run a spectrum analysis of the unknown ship? Their hull seems mostly transparent. I am curious if we can determine the composition of their atmosphere."

OOC: Layne would roll Reason (12) + Medicine (5) = 17 or less, on each of 2 separate d20s. His Focus of Xenobiology would apply.  Any roll of 20 is a Complication.

So, roll 2d20, counting each die.  Decker is assisting and has contributed one success so far...

OOC Well screw. I got a success, but added a complication.
22:43, Today: DR Ranse Layne rolled 33 using 2d20 with rolls of 13,20.  Examine the unknown ship.

"I do believe I noticed something interesting about the ship, Lieutenant commander."

He will share his observations with Decker, and ask his input, which is my way of folding his assistance in to the role play. Hope that makes sense.

Azami pauses in her work at the doctor's request.  "Yes, Dr. Layne," she replies.  Shutting off the connection, she frowns for a moment.  'Unknown ship'?  Did they have a sample in Sickbay labeled such?  But no - from Layne's comments this seems likely to be a current situation.  Which means...some form of contact.

Which means this is realtime, and Layne requires information posthaste.

Pursing her lips, she comms the computer.  "Computer - on orders from CMO Layne, I require feed from the bridge sensors."  Azami isn't certain if a Petty Officer has the authority or clearance for this sort of request, but Dr. Layne has asked and it's worth a try.  All the while, her mind is spinning ahead.  Science has likely done a basic spectrophotometric analysis all the way up the EM spectrum, UV-Vis to Gamma.  Maybe if she tweaks the data differently as well as trying IR with a Fourier Transformation, the medtech might discover something new.

"Do both," she whispers, already settling down at a console, waiting for the computer's reply.  It shouldn't take much more time, and the CMO had requested the basics at the least; plus, a second (or third, fourth) set of eyes might pick up something others haven't yet caught.

Should she get the information, when the image finally flickers up on the screen the petty officer hesitates a moment, caught by the shocking sight; then with a small blink, she begins her analysis, setting aside the ship's appearance for future consideration.  There will be time for amazement afterwards.

As the vessel is translucent, on a hunch Azami tries to figure out the material's refractive index from the light passing solely through the hull (along, to her, the 'edges' of the ship) and tosses that into the data, hunting for correlations.  If she can then get light passing through the entire ship...and through using the refractive index of the material work out the refractive index of the atmosphere...it will likely help determine the composition.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
OOC - Assuming Azami is permitted to support, and depending if my perspective that Insight applies in this situation rather than Reason, I achieved either 1 or 2 successes.
Thank you for the opportunity, Doctor.  ^_^

---

This message was last edited by the player at 15:35, Sat 17 July 2021.

D'rala listened intently to the volley of questions and answers lobbed back and forth across the bridge stations as she scrolled her personnel list.

First, she sent out a request to the Chief of Security, Lieutenant sh'Renmaa. Next, in light of the likelihood that the strange object was in fact a vessel, she alerted the Chief Engineering Officer that she would like a member of their department to accompany her, should the occasion arise.

Watching LCDR Decker work at his station, D'rala thought of his invaluable efforts aboard the Artifact.  If they were again going to come face to face with unknown technology, his presence could be life saving.

"Lieutenant Commander," she addressed Decker, waiting until a moment that the man seemed in between immediate, urgent tasks. "I'd like to request your presence in the case that this calls for an away team. I'm sure your expertise would be invaluable."

Decker glanced up, slightly startled, and quickly located the XO across the bridge.

"Yes sir. Of course, sir!" He smiled slightly at her, "I hope so. That's what we're here for."

He then returned his focus to his work. He tried not to think about the fact that he was quite possibly going to be going from one dangerous away mission to another until his luck ran out.

Tsolo informs Captain ch'Pertha that it'll take an messages to and from Starfleet Command to take about a watch, given some time for SC to compose a reply.

He pauses and then adds Captain, regarding this structure, I'm reminded of some things I'm familiar with when on Earth. First, translucency has a purpose, and I think of greenhouses...glass structures that let energy in and keep the inside environmentally stable. They're used for crop growing...often herbs and flowers. I'm also thinking of a vegetable, corn when on the cob...looks like a cylinder taper on one end. It is oblong and has many small edible seeds called kernels in rows. Captain, I suggest we not put ourselves between any energy source and it.

Layne leaned over the sensor hood of Decker's station, watching the data scroll by in staggering waves... data that coalesced in his keen mind into meaningful information, which also appeared on Decker's monitor.  Layne shared his observations.

In addition to being at least partially organic, Layne's analysis suggest this is a host organism for some other form of life... a lot of them.  He doesn't think this is a ship at all.  More like some kind of... hive.

Meanwhile, down in Sickbay, Amamiya's analysis of the spectral scans suggested that there WAS no atmosphere beyond trace gasses.  The translucent material seemed to be more like some kind of membrane than any kind of window. The scans were refracted somewhat but not reflected, so she was able to draw a basic model. As Tsolo hypothesized, it seemed it did draw some energy in through the membrane.

Decker also detected traces of dilithium deep inside the object...

OOC: 1 Momentum added to the pool from your combined efforts.

"It may very well alive, Captain. Sentient, I can't say, but perhaps. A.... hive mind?"

There was a shiver in his voice at the very thought.

Azami muses on the results as she moves to the intercom.  "Sickbay to Doctor Layne," she sends, waiting for the connection.  "Apologies if I am disturbing, Doctor Layne," she calmly begins.  "Test results indicate trace gasses only - perhaps off-gassing from the material.  But there is no true atmosphere within the areas of the vessel we have scanned."  Which is not to say there is no atmosphere anywhere, but...based on what they have thus far, nothing.  "The material itself approximates a membrane, through which energy  passes.  Or is perhaps gathered.  That is all I have for the moment."

Finished, the petty officer leaves the connection open and remains next to the intercom.  She has no pressing duties, and it seems wise to remain available for any potential requests.  Patience is a virtue, and Azami has a surfeit.

A surfeit of patience, in any case; virtues are a different matter.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:26, Sun 18 July 2021.

SICKBAY

Azami became aware of someone moving up behind her, leaning in to peer at the monitor.  Dr. Verghese, the surgeon, frowned.

"What do you see?" he asked, looking at the data with puzzlement and wonder evident on his young features.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:46, Mon 19 July 2021.

COUNSELOR'S OFFICE

As the ship was making its scans of the alien object - or being - there wasn't much going on below decks save the standard preparations.  But the buzzer to T'Lara's office rang just then.  A woman's voice, somewhat strained, with a hint of an Eastern European accent, spoke through the door.

"Counselor, do you have a moment?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:48, Mon 19 July 2021.

MAIN ENGINEERING

In response to CDR Vex's request for an engineer for landing party duty, LT Harada replied, "Aye sir.  I can spare someone.  I can spare me.  I'll be on standby if you need me."

She senses him coming, noting his presence on several levels, some conscious, some not.  Automatic assessment follows before Azami clamps down on it; this is Sickbay, there is no threat.  Then the query, and Azami responds immediately. “Bridge sensors, Doctor Verghese; contact with an unknown.  Doctor Layne requested I run some tests using the Sickbay instruments.” There’s no hesitation in giving the information; if she is granted access, then certainly the lieutenant should also have the right. “Spectroscopic analysis indicates no interior atmosphere – only trace gasses – and material that suggests a membrane.  Possibly acting as an energy sink for…power?  Nutrition?”   The medtech shrugs. “Sadly, I lack the full picture – I’m certain that Science has already compiled a great deal of information, but I currently have no access.”   The information has been travelling in one direction, of course.  It would be nice to have it all, to put her analysis in context, allowing for a more detailed picture and perhaps a more detailed conclusion; but realistically, that’s not her place nor her expertise.  Better for Azami to provide what she gleans to those with superior skills in this area.

She slips out of the chair on the side opposite to the doctor, her unfocused gaze sliding past and around him. “If you would like, doctor,” Azami offers, indicating the chair.  Currently there are no requests for her to continue, and it’s very possible Doctor Verghese - with his experience and expertise - will spot something she has missed.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:40, Mon 19 July 2021.

The sounds of conversation between the PO and Dr. Verghese start to filter thru on to the bridge. Dr. Layne swiftly cuts the connection.

Decker turned towards the Captain, "Sir, this entity is fascinating, and we'll hopefully be spending several weeks investigating it, but at the moment it appears to be non-hostile. At least to us. I recommend we drop a few probes here and then take a wide course around it to ascertain the status of the colony. We have plenty of data to analyze for the time being."

In reply to DR Zofia Lukaszuk (msg # 63):

T’Lara barely had the time to skim through the abstract of the research paper when the ringer at the door alerted her of the visitor waiting outside her office.   Dr Lukaszuk didn’t identify herself, but that wasn’t required; the two women served together in the same department for several months now, and T’Lara recognized her voice (and more particularly, her accent)

"Please, come in"

She pressed the button on her console to open the door, and rose to her feet to greet the doctor.

As Decker turns to speak to the Captain, Dr. Layne takes the opportunity to look thru the sensors again. This ship has his mind racing with the possibilities, but his curiosity conflicted with his concern for the colonists. He quickly stepped back, getting out of the way of the Lieutenant Commander.

D'rala returned Decker's smile. "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander.:

The offer from Lt Harada was a pleasant surprise: all the better to have her expertise. "Much appreciated, Lieutenant, I'll alert you if the time comes."

Team selected, she messaged the armory with regards to equipment requests. Afterwards, she listened.

The concept of a mysterious, alien hive was not one she was particularly pleased to receive, but knew that such encounters could not be pre-judged through knee-jerk bias and personal experience. Nevertheless, in light of the experiences on board the Artifact, there was a queasy edge to the information.

Confused, Dr. Layne stepped over by the Captains chair and spoke to him in a quiet voice.

"Captain, are you sending an away team to the ship? Aren't you concerned this might be perceived as an act of aggression. Unless I missed something, we have yet to even attempt to contact them. I hope I misunderstand what we are doing here."

His concern was clear on his face, his brow furrowed.

"Shouldn't checking the colonists be our first priority right now?"

While any away team would be better trained for such an encounter, he couldn't help but remember how his staff had handled (or mishandled) encounters with alien lifeforms.

"Finding a new life form, especially one capable of space travel, is a momentous occasion. Please, think twice."

In reply to LCDR T'Lara (msg # 68):

COUNSELOR'S OFFICE

The pathologist entered reluctantly, hesitantly.  Her long blonde hair was bound up in a loose bun, and she wore her medical whites instead of a standard Starfleet duty uniform.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," she said.  "If this is a bad time, I can come back later." Her body language suggested she would be more than happy to do so.

In reply to PO Amamiya Azami (msg # 65):

SICKBAY

The surgeon leaned closer, peering with keen dark eyes at the data on the screen. At Amamiya's urging, he slid into the seat she vacated and squinted more closely.

"Incredible," he breathed.

Then his eyes narrowed further.  "Does that look like an aorta to you?" he asked, tracing an outline on the screen over the image. "And a ventricle system?  It's not made out of blood and bone but I'd swear this was set up very similarly."

"Doctor," ch'Pertha calmly replied, his eyes never leaving the viewing screen, "I have asked my XO to prepare a Landing Party.  I have not yet given a destination.
However, the fact that I did so before we recognised the ... entity ... for what it was may act as an indicator".

Louder, the Captain said, "I am inclined to agree with you, Ltn Commander" as he stood.

"Helm, plot us a course to the opposite side of the system.   Then, at your will, take us there in a most casual fashion unless we trigger some kind of hostile response.

Lieutenant Saghalie, please liaise with engineering, for drones that will enhance transmission and scans through the Oort Cloud.  I'd like us to put some eyes down through that mess, before taking the ship in.

Science and Medical; keep eyes on that ... organism.   Learn what you can while we have this opportunity, and please warn us if you note any hostile intent.

Helm, when you get us in place, I want evasive manoeuvres calculated for a defensive retreat if said hostile intent realise.

Meanwhile, Ltn Commander Vex, your Landing target remains the colony.
Please be prepared to move at given notice".


He hit the 'shipwide announcement' system, and addressed the entire crew,
"Crew of the Independent,  we have arrived at Coriolanus IV, as directed by Starfleet Command; our mission here is to contact the newly founded mining colony at this location.
From without the system, he have identified what may be a new spacefaring lifeform, as yet unknown to the Federation.

This could be a very exciting, and also a very dangerous, time; as encounters with new space faring races can, of course, never be counted on to be positive.
Yet, the Federation and its people continue to forge ties through determination and diplomacy at times such as these;  proving tenacious and resourceful in our empathy and goodwill.

And so I implore each of you to continue on with your duties with the diligence and precision you have proved, I have the utmost faith that this ship will exceed expectations in the ensuing events".

- rolled 11,5.  Comand(4)+Presence(8) with 'Inspiration' focus ...
to generate Momentum with an inspirational speech.
- seems to be 2 successes?

Feeling properly chastised for his assumption, the Doctor headed off of the bridge.

The system of Coriolanus was going to take some effort to figure out, and he had no value on the bridge now, best to be out of the way.

He wondered how long it would be before they actually reached Coriolanus IV, and what else they might find once they enter the solar system.

While in the elevator he contact PO Amamiya.

"Unless you have something for me, I am heading to my quarters for a brief nap."

Azami steps back to allow the surgeon further space, not wishing to loom.  Granted, looming is difficult for her, but still…politeness, in all things.  She waits as he moves past his first, completely understandable response to the unfamiliar object; it is, in truth, an amazing sight.  Then his training engages, and the observations begin…observations which surprise her.  Shifting a hair closer at his questions, Azami purses her lips, considering the structures Verhgese points out.  “I see similarities, now that you point them out,” she hesitantly states.  Similarities, of course, does not mean similarities of function, but it’s not exactly a huge leap.  The petty officer snags a hand-held screen, linking it with the console and beginning to sketch notes on a copy of the imagery.

Observations: Doctor Verghese.

“If you continue, doctor, I will take notes,” she assures him, leaving the doctor free to apply his expertise without distraction.

The intercom pipes.

~~ Crew of the Independence, we have arrived at… ~~

A mining colony.  It brings back memories of the discomfort of the simulations, and Azami’s gut knots.  She sets that aside, focusing on the remainder of the captain’s words.  Exciting, dangerous, empathy, goodwill…diligence and precision; those last two are the most important for her.

The speech ends, but a repeat of the piping indicates further incoming messages.  Azami straightens slightly as Doctor Layne’s voice comes over the intercom.  “Of course, doctor,” she replies, sparing a glance at the surgeon, rapt in his examination of the data.  That seems to fall into the category of ‘something for the CMO’. “Doctor Verghese is currently analyzing the data we have, and has discovered similarities between sections of the vessel’s structure and certain biological systems – in this case, circulatory.”

Receiving the PO's response, the Doctor redirects the elevator.

"Fascinating. I will be there promptly."

He heads for sickbay, curious to see what Doctor Verghese is thinking.

In reply to DR Zofia Lukaszuk (msg # 72):

“Not, not at all” T’Lara barely completed her sentence when the message from the Captain went through.  The Independence has just arrived at Coriolanus IV.  And they’ve encountered a new lifeform!!!  As exciting as the news were, it also meant that T’Lara might not have much time to talk after all, not if she is to be a part of the away team to the surface of the planet.

“Umm, sorry” she offered the doctor an apologetic smile “looks like I can only spare a short moment.  If that will do, I’ll be happy to talk now”

"Aye, Captain."

He contacted the Torpedo bay and ordered them to launch two long duration probes. He programmed the probes to maintain station keeping at either end of the object at roughly the same distance the ship had maintained to keep an eye on it while Independence moved on.

Once Lieutenant Saghalie and Engineering had launched a third probe into the Oort cloud, he began monitoring the return signals for signs of anything dangerous or out of the ordinary while the rest of his department continued to scan and analyze the object.

Aye Tsolos replies. He leaves, turn in g over the comm, and goes to engineering. There, works with engineering staff to launch the probes as ordered. It's an interesting experience since he'd never launched a probe before. After the third one, he knew how. He thanked those who taught him.

He checked that a was well with Comm and repaired to his office, bulletin boarding that he was available. Thee he wrote down the probe-launching steps as a further aid to his memory, going over the steps in his mind as he does so. Then he retrieved the manual to read through the probe retrieval steps.

OOC: 2 Momentum added to the pool for ch'Pertha's speech!

Dr. Layne left the bridge, headed for his cabin, even as the Independence carried our her sensor duties and deployed probes prior to moving deeper in-system. Azami's response to Layne diverted the CMO to sickbay...

Decker arranged the launch of two probes to bracket and scan the organism/hive.

The object/being did not react.  Yet.

"I could be wrong," Verghese said, still studying the display on the monitor.  "Maybe I'm seeing what's familiar."

But his tone was more doubtful that he was wrong.

"No, I'm sorry to bother you, Counselor, it's fine," Lukaszuk replied. "Perhaps later."

With that, the young woman practically retreated back towards sickbay.

Arriving at the sickbay, Dr. Layne nodded to PO Amamiya, perhaps remembering her earlier 'forgetting' to turn off the comm, then addressed Dr. Verghese.

"What have you found Doctor, is it something you think I should bring up to the Captain?"

Doctor Verghese offers his own doubts regarding the observations; Azami purses her lips in thought as she continues to take notes.  It's good to admit the possibility of error, especially to oneself; the doctor, however, seems fairly confident.  Azami concurs.  "The conclusion may be incorrect, doctor, but that does not mean the observations are faulty," she quietly states in support.  "It is possibly random convergence of design, but possibly not; given design indicates function, more likely the latter.  Thus, worth pursuing."  Behind his back, she offers a small shrug, unseen.  "My opinion."

The sickbay doors hiss open; enter the CMO, stage left.

Holding the notes to her chest, Azami offers a slight inclination of her upper body in reply to his nod.  She considers her most recent conversation with T'Lara, in the counselor's office*, and her decision to inquire regarding the away team.  But now is not the time; Doctor Layne is clearly focused on Doctor Verghese and his analysis of the unknown; shifting her position slightly to keep them both in her sight, Azami continues to note observations, marking them with a 'V' or 'L' as necessary.

She'll hold her query for a time where the chief medical officer has a moment.

* Ongoing PM conversation with T'Lara
This message was last edited by the player at 10:12, Sun 01 Aug 2021.

Verghese, enraptured by the data on the screen, nonetheless responds to Azami: "Your opinion's valuable.  We're all colleagues here."

But he looked around when Dr. Layne entered, the older man commanding a presence that most younger officers couldn't begin to match.

"I'm not sure, sir," the surgeon replied.  "The energy channels and physical chambers of this object... or creature... resembled that of a ventricle system to me." He turned the monitor to face the CMO.

Layne may make a Reason + Medicine roll to garner further information. Difficulty is 2.

Decker's scans showed that, while the artifact didn't react to the probes... it was focused in on the Independence's scanning beam... almost locked onto it.  There was an indication it was absorbing energy from it.

Even as Decker noticed the scanning anomaly, ENS Nyshuri replied, "Course laid in.  Probes launched.  Executing withdrawal."

Staring intently in to the display, Dr. Layne tries to examine the ship from the perspective of a ventricle system. Was this a floating brain, something out of a late night horror movie?

The ventricular system is a set of communicating cavities within the brain.

The ventricles of the brain are a communicating network of cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and located within the brain parenchyma.

Was he looking at one of the cavities, or multiples?

OOC: Waiting for a response from Star Fleet re: my dice roll.

In Main Engineering, working on the probes, Tsolo has his first chance to work up close with the Independence's new Chief Engineer, Kimiko Harada.

"That's good," she commented as Tsolo quickly picked up probe operations. "You're a natural at this. Arigato."  From what Tsolo can see, the engineering staff likes her, and quickly responds to her.

But...

OOC: Tsolo may make an Insight + Medicine roll on 2d20, with his Focus of Psychology applying.

  Pleased with Doctor Verghese's consideration, and his acknowledgement of her potential usefulness, Azami nonetheless shifts back a touch more as Doctor Layne focuses all of his attention on the viewscreen.  Best to keep out of his way.  She goes back to examining the portion of the ship that Verghese likened to the aorta, and considers its position vis à vis the structures he identified as ventricles.

Having completed her own analysis already, there's little else she might do other than follow along the directions the doctors take.

"Hold on that withdrawal, Ensign Nushuri ... until my command", ch'Pertha intoned.
Then, to Decker he said, "Ltn Commander, I want eyes on that ... entity ship.
But now I want a complete scan of the planet surface, please".

At this time, ch'Pertha simply wanted to know when, and how, the alien hive-ship acted against them.
Their first priority was still to investigate the mining colony.

"Ltn Commander Vex, please advise me when your Landing Party are in your shuttle, and prepared to launch" he said to his XO: be it personally, or over comms.


Onto the ship-wide Announcement System, he spoke to the entire crew again.
"Crew of the Independence,  as you know, we are now in position outside Remote mining colony Coriolanus IV ... and have identified an unknown presence in space above the planet, but closer than we are.

We are investigating both the colony, and the entity ... but I am about to elevate the Independence to Yellow Alert due to the possibility of this situation erupting into a dangerous matter.
You should make yourselves fully away for an immediate Red Alert to follow at an moment.

Captain out".

And he did then, exactly that: ordering the ship to Yellow Alert.


He knew that the Medical Department were investigating the entity, with help from the Science Department.
And that the Science Department was now turning their primary attention to investigating the planet and the colony itself.

"Engineering, I want torpedo's modified for use against biological targets, please", he directed over comms to Harada.
"And Ltn Saghalie I want you to prepare a 'first contact' hailing signal, that will increase our chances of communicating with biological senses, rather than the usual technogical reception we normally send to".


Have I missed anyone?  I know that T'Lara has her own sub-plot happening right now, but if anyone needs some thing to do, please say so.
Guaranteed I can find you something to do.

  The captain's voice comes over the line, seizing attention.  Prepare for red alert; T'Lara's worst fear, Azami considers, might yet come to pass.  Time is running out - best she inquire, now, while Captain ch'Pertha's speech puts a momentary break in the study of the alien vessel.

"Doctor Layne," she begins, quiet and straightforward, "will there be medical personnel with the away team?" The petty officer is already considering the packed gear she prepared upon coming aboard; it's a familiar habit for her, given Azami's emergency response specialization.  "I am prepared, myself."

It's a medtech's job to be ready for in-field work, after all.

But there's that wrinkle.  After a moment's consideration, Azami shrugs minutely; best to get it out in the open, one way or another.  "One hopes my pacifism does not disqualify me from consideration."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:17, Sat 07 Aug 2021.

While continuing to examine the image, rotating it as best as the system is able, to try and guess what he is seeing, Dr. Layne answers the question as best he can.

"Lieut. Commander Vex was in charge of the away team. I assume there will be at least one med tech in the mix."

He flips a switch, the turns a knob to zoom in on one particular section of the... ship? Being? He still wasn't sure.

"I wonder if it has a mouth? It puts me in mind of that thing Kirk found, the one that destroyed Commodore Matt Decker and the Constellation."

He paused and stood up, thinking. He wondered if if their own Lieut. Commander Decker was related. He brushed the thought away. He gestured to Dr. Verghese, giving the screen back to him for the moment.

"Anyway, about the away team, I have to assume that you would have heard by now if she wanted you."

It might have come across as sharp, but he is clearly focused on other thoughts, and did not seem to be intentionally abrasive, at least no more than usual.

Assuming that  the question had been answered, he proceeded.

"I need you to do some research for me PO Amamiya. See if you can call up the records on... what was it called. The Doomsday Machine? The Enterprise-A ran into it in system L-374 if memory serves. Let us hope most fervently that this isn't another one of those. I would like a comparison, length, size, general description."

Assuming that was enough information to go on, he returned to see what Dr. Verghese was thinking.

T'Lara was disappointed to see DR Lukaszuk retreating right back to sickbay, but thought it better than to call out after her.  She did stand up and nod as she parted, making a mental note to seek her out after they completed their mission.

It was good that she didn't stop her, because a short minute later Captain ch'Pertha addressed the crew again.  The Independence was closing in on Coriolanus IV, which meant she needed to make the final preparations for departure, now.

Communicator, Tricorder, Phaser. If anything else would be needed, Commander Vex would was sure to let them know.

"T'Lara to Commander Vex: I'm ready and awaiting your orders"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:59, Sat 07 Aug 2021.

Azami waits in silence as the doctor works through his answer to her query.  Her eyebrows twitch once when he professes a lack of knowledge regarding the medical personnel with the away team, but nothing more, and both he and Verghese are glued to the screen.  Perhaps Lt. Commander Vex simply has not yet informed him of the medical personnel in question, or has not yet requested one from his staff.  Or perhaps, on this ship, they consider doing so unnecessary.  Whatever the reason, she'll adjust, the matter is clearly over, and she has been assigned other duties.

"Yes, doctor."

With that, the medtech moves to another console.  Using the keywords supplied by the doctor, she calls up the information requested.  It will take a matter of moments, assuming said information is not classified, and unavailable to someone of her rank, and once she gathers it - complete with graphics sized properly for comparison - Azami places the information on another clipboard and sets it down next to Doctor Layne.

OOC - it's an assumption, but I rather feel that that if Amamiya can indeed access the information, it's not going to require any dice rolls to find it. 
This message was last edited by the player at 15:32, Sat 07 Aug 2021.

D'rala received her orders over the comm from where she had been double checking the shuttle in the bay. "Aye, Captain," she replied. "I'll alert you when we're launch-ready."

Receiving T'Lara's message after the Captain's ship wide announcement, she replied. "Thank you, Lt. Commander, happy to have you along for the ride. Proceed to the shuttle bay."


She closed the storage panel filled with supplies and sent a message to the other intended members of the away team: Lt. sh'Renmaa, LCDR Decker, Lt. Harada, and a medical officer of Doctor Layne's choosing.

THey were all to make their way to the shuttle bay, dressed and equipped to see action.

On receiving the information from Azami, Dr. Layne received an alert showing that he had a message.

Glancing at it quickly, he considered things, then went against his better judgement.

"PO Amamiya? Commander Vex has asked me to send her someone from medical."

He waited a moment, still uncertain this was the right thing to do.

"Call me up a replacement from the on-call roster, and grab your gear, assuming you still want the assignment. 'Dressed and equipped to see action' she said. Don't make me regret this."

He then turned to examine the file she had sent him, trying to hide his concern over the decision.

  Azami's head comes up at the doctor's statement, her stormcloud gray eyes focusing - a rare event - on his face.  For a long moment, Doctor Layne pauses, and the young petty officer's mind races ahead, calculating times.

"Call me up a replacement from the on-call roster, and grab your gear, assuming you still want the assignment." 

"Yes, doctor," she instantly replies, moving to the comm.  "Computer, inform Osarah Sh'ichianit -" an Andorian woman who went by 'Sarah' around humans "- that she is to replace Petty Officer Amamiya in the Sickbay for the remainder of this shift, or until Doctor Lanye releases her.  Effective immediately."

The comm snaps off, and Azami slides a carry-bag from a cabinet, already loaded with sufficient medical supplies to deal with minor - and some major - emergencies.  Pausing, she offers the doctor a quick salute, then strides out the door of Sickbay.

Immediately she breaks into a run, nearly sprinting for her quarters.  They're not far, as the tour with T'Lara revealed, and it's only moments before she bursts in, surprising at least two half-asleep crewmen.  Waving off their questions, Azami sheds clothing like water, dragging out the standard uniform and jacket used on field missions.  She has a tricorder in the bag, a communicator...she'll add a phaser before arriving at the shuttle bay.

Dressed and ready, she again grabs the carry-bag.  A sick tension grows in her stomach as she bursts back out into the hallway, ducking around another crewman and settling into a smooth, ground-eating pace.  There could be any number of emergencies awaiting the away team, and Azami hopes she's up to the task.  A query to the computer regarding the gathering point for the away team gives her the shuttle bay, and the petty officer moves in that direction, pausing only once to pick up a phaser from a weapons locker.  And yes, the switch is immediately set to stun.

Always stun.

Bag on her shoulder, the medtech jogs down the hallway toward the proper shuttle bay.  If she believed in any god or higher being, Azami would pray.  She doesn't; instead, the young woman hopes for the best while steeling herself for the worst.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
OOC - heading for the correct shuttle bay.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 02:23, Sun 08 Aug 2021.

Ranse noticed the salute out of the corner of his eye, but she was gone before he could even think of returning it. He smiled, but concern still shown on his face. He had only known her a short while, but he admired her competence and intellect. Be a shame to lose her.

Without a second though he went back to comparing images, hoping that was not the same monster he was thinking of. He doubted they would survive an encounter with a world killer if it was.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:47, Sun 08 Aug 2021.

I suggest the number addition sequence; it should be neutral and show a desire to communicate.

1, 1, 2  1, 2 3   2, 3, 5.... (pulse(s)

The Science Officer nodded, worked his instruments for several seconds, peered through the focused viewing scope, and then swiveled back to ch'Pertha, shaking his head.

"Captain, due to the composition and density of the cloud, we're unable to make any detailed scans of the inner system. It would take too long for a probe to pass through and get close enough to do any good, either. If we're to ascertain conditions on the colony, we're going to have to take the ship there...or, at least, through to the other side of the cloud."

He peered back at his displays for a moment and frowned slightly, "Also, you should know, although it hasn't reacted to the ship proper, it does appear to be siphoning energy from our scanner emissions."

He tried altering the modulation of the scanners to see if it reacted to changes in the frequency or other characteristics.

ch'Pertha nodded to Decker, then considered a moment, before, "Helm,  take us into system, slow and steady.
Give the unknown entity as much distance as possible, but bring us into scanning range of the planetary surface".

"Aye sir," Nyshuri responded when ch'Pertha put their withdrawal on hold.

Unfortunately for the captain, Decker's scanners couldn't reach the planet from here with the kind of detail he wanted.  The wily Andorian also knew a probe - launched at this distance - would take nearly a week to reach the planet at .25C.

Commander Vex had arrived at the shuttle, her landing party assembled and ready to go. Lt. Stirling, a couple guards, LCDR Decker, Lt. Harada, T'Lara, and PO Amamiya...

The ship went to yellow alert.

Meanwhile, down in sickbay, as the CMO and the surgeon continued to study the alien object, Azami recalls data from the computers on the planet killer from sector L-374 and calls it up onscreen.  Aside from being large and alien, they don't appear too much alike.  The planet killer was essentially a cone-shaped death ray powered by a total conversion drive, with a hull made of solid neutronium.  Our new object is partially organic, with plasma... relays?  Veins?  ...and had trace amounts of dilithium in its system. She was able to present this before hustling off to meet her shuttle mission.

Back on the bridge, Decker tried altering modulation on the scans, but the creature/ship seemed... 'locked on' or 'latched'. Tsolo's attempts at numeric communication actually had some success... in that the pulses were replicated.  Just parroted, but there was a response. Captain ch'Pertha ordered a slow and steady withdrawal.  Ensign Nyshuri nodded and turned to execute, a barely-visible trickle of sweat sliding down one side of her dark features.  The Independence began to move...
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:38, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

As the starship began to withdraw, though, Decker's sensors read a massive energy spike!

Vents along the alien structure began to blaze an ominous red...

- Azami is the med officer going with the Landing Party.

- ch’Pertha has ordered the Independence onward through the Oort Cloud … not to withdraw.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.  Moving onward through the Oort cloud *is* withdrawing (i.e. moving away from) the object.

Breathing a sigh of relief at find his concern unwarranted, Dr. Layne reminded himself that there was still danger afoot. And an unknown danger at that.

Setting the file aside for later reading if/when time permitted, as his personal curiosity had been peaked.

Stepping back over to the main sensor, asked his comrade what he was thinking.

"A giant living organism that can live in space? Life always seems to find a way. Curious if it could have evolved there, or if it is a creation. I wonder about the dilithium though, do you think it can go to warp?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:11, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

T'Lara has made all the necessary preparation before Commander Vex instructed her to report to the shuttle bay.  A short walk brought her there, to meet with the rest of the away team already assembled.  She offered a slight nod of her head in acknowledgment of Azami, happy to see she was allowed to join, and another one to Decker, whom she held in high regards.

“Reporting for duty, Commander”

Her eyes met Commander Vex’s.  She regretted the fact that she didn’t have an opportunity to talk with the first officer since their last mission, ask her how she found the Independence, and its crew.   She did know, from firsthand experience, that their new first officer was competent, and that her promotion was well earned.  All members of the away team, for that matter, were equally capable in their own specialized fields of expertise.  Hopefully, it would be enough.

PO Zogoyah arrived soon after T'Lara, reporting in with a salute. Heading to one side, he began checking his weapons, then rechecking them. This was to be his first away mission, and he was eager for everything to go right.

With Zogoyah was PO Trainer.
He’d been on a few Landings, but not with this new XO, so he was keen to impress.
He too began checking his weapons and gear.

Having made it to the shuttle bay, Azami immediately begins settling her gear.  The tricorder comes out of the bag, the remaining contents of the bag are checked.  T’Lara arrives, and the petty officer catches her acknowledgement.  Azami, shifts her body in a very slightly bow to respond, corners of her mouth twitching for an instant, then returns to her organization.  Done and done; the bag goes back on her shoulder while her stormcloud eyes sweep across the others in the landing party, then away.

T'Lara, she knows.

The male lieutenant commander, she doesn’t – yet.

Commander Vex would be the Orion, and the leader of this away team.

Another human, a lieutenant; this one’s uniform indicates Engineering.

One petty officer seems concerned with his weaponry.  Gorn.  A bit of a surprise, really, and the medtech begins reviewing her knowledge of Gorn physiology and important points of note, medically speaking.  Cold blooded, iron-based…

The second, rounding out the humans, seems less-focused on weaponry, though still intent on ensuring his equipment is in good order.  Understandable.

Lots of officers, Azami notes; she’s not used to this sort of ratio, given her past postings.  It makes some sense, of course, in this kind of situation.  They’re heading into an unknown, where a variety of different skills and perspectives might be needed, as well as the authority to make important decisions.

Her survey of her teammates complete, Azami slips into the background, prepared and waiting for the next step.

Decker frowned slightly as his manipulations apparently had no effect. Was it feeding off the scanner energy or was this just its own passive sensors...

As the ship began to move and readouts on his panels suddenly spiked and went red, his eyes widened.

"Captain, I think it's reacting to our movement. There's a large energy buildup!"

He focused the ship's passive sensors on the vents, trying to ascertain their function as they started to glow.

OOC: In the interest of moving things along, I'm going to assume that I get a sensor roll in. If not, this never happened.

Reason(12) + Science(5) assisted by the ship's Sensors(9) + Science(3)

4 dice for me (Testing a Theory and spending 1 momentum) and 1 die for the ship
15:50, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 60 using 5d20 with rolls of 11,1,19,11,18.  Scanning artifact vents 4 dice + 1 ship die.

I'll use Cautious: Science to re-roll my 19 and Technical Expertise to re-roll the ship's 18.
15:51, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 12 using 2d20 with rolls of 9,3.  Re-rolls.

So that's 11,1,9,11 for Decker and a 3 for the ship. 1 crit for Decker and 1 crit for the ship. Total of 7 successes! God I hope that counts for something. ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:54, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

Comm keeps sending the numeric sequence, and Tsolo has a screen show the returning pattern for the two Comm personnel with him to help analyze.

Asking Dr. Verghese to start labeling the image with his thoughts as to what was what, Dr. Layne attempted to reach the Captain with the communicator.

Once he gets thru, he shares his theory and concerns.

"Captain, Dr. Verghese has made some observations that seem to ring true. We believe that not only is there organic portions to the ship, but it may in fact be a living being, a space faring race, origins unknown."


He glanced again at his sensor display, noting the changes in the creatures response.

"Given the unusual nature of the local Oort cloud, I think we should examine it's contents, I am concerned that within the cloud might be offspring or eggs of the creature. Any attempt to go through could easily be taken as a threat! Even if this isn't true, it seems to consider the Oort cloud important in some way."

He has batting dead zero on his attempts to understand this situation, but he had no choice but to continue to share his thoughts. If he did not, and he had been right, he would be responsible for untold mayhem.

D’rala gave T’Lara a smile, born of appreciation. “Glad to have you along.” There was a comfort to the presence of a woman who she had, if briefly, worked side by side with before, and whom she knew was valiant and trustworthy.

She greeted the two men Zogoyaj and Trainor, and then let them alone to check their equipment.

When the full group was assembled, D’rala spoke again: “I know this is our first away mission together, but I can assure you all that your safety and this mission’s success are my two top priorities, in that order. We’re all going to be out of our depth when we’re over there, so if you think you’re seeing something I’m missing, don’t be afraid to speak up. I selected each of you because I want your thoughts and expertise. If you have any thoughts or concerns before we launch, I’m here to receive them.” She punctuated  her short speech with a nod.

If no one has any comments, she would board the shuttle.

The good doctor pipes up again, with a strange question...

"Also, curious, can the ships main phasers be set to stun? If that thing is as much a living being as Dr. Verghese thinks, that might be a worthwhile thing to know."

  Clearly the XO gets along well with the ship’s counsellor.  A tick in her favour, from Azami’s point of view; anyone who didn’t get along with T’Lara should likely be viewed with deep suspicion.  Granted, Azami herself might be biased, the petty officer considers, but still.

Commander Vex then gives a short address, first stressing safety then success; another point on the positive side to Azami.  The speech continues along a sober and sensible vein – caution appears to be the watchword, rather than the glory of Starfleet.  Better and better still.  It ends with a notation of conviction in differing abilities of the team and a request for either input or queries.  The single small inaccuracy Azami can see is that the XO hadn’t actually chosen her, personally…which, she admits, would be appalling nit-picking as the XO had requested the CMO choose someone qualified, wisely deferring to the CMO’s knowledge of their own staff.

In all, it’s likely the best possible speech Azami could have expected from a team leader, a heartening fact.

As for the request for questions or comments, at present the petty officer has none of either.  For her, there simply isn’t enough information.  No doubt she will later, when they have a better idea of what actually transpires with the colony; does it have something to do with the alien, potentially alive vessel?  It would be stretching coincidence to think not…but there is as yet no factual support for that possibility.

So for now, Petty Officer Amamiya remains silent.

Upon hearing Dr Layne's observations and suspicions, ch'Pertha called Helm to "Bring the ship to a full stop".
Relaying the conversation to Decker, ch'Pertha asked, "Can you work with Dr Layne, to ascertain the possibility of this, please".

"Are we getting any form of response from the entity", ch'Pertha asked Saghallie, as he moved over to towards the Lieutenant.

"Ltn E'Detra, work with engineering to modify main phasors for non-lethal strikes against a ship-sized space-faring entity.
When you achieve this, modify only 1/3 of our main phasers this way ... for the moment".

Hearing Ltn Decker's warning, ch'Pertha ordered for "Shields up, and prepare for evasive retreat"

OOC: That took longer than expected, but here we go.

On the bridge, the captain gave a series of orders that his crew scrambled to carry out.  Nyshuri brought the ship to a full stop (relative to its position).  E'Detra quickly began recalibrating 33% of the Independence's phasers for nonlethal fire.

Tsolo's comms kept repeating, but as Decker focused his scans, the repetition in return ceased.

Decker focused his sensors on the vents. They appeared to be multi-purpose, possibly used for maneuver and definitely used as a means of defense... and offense.

A burst of blazing crimson light preluded a burning scarlet star that scathed across the distance between them at incredible speed. Decker had only a heartbeat to discern that the alien weapons are highly ionized plasma-based projectiles that have a devastating energy
dampening effect that will deplete shields quickly... an energy draining effect.

OOC: 7 successes means Decker banks 4 Determination, minus the 1 spent, adds 3 to the pool. The pool caps out at 6, so you'll lose 1 unless you use it for an immediate spend.

E'Detra shifted her focus to raising the shields, turning from the phasers, but too late!

OOC: Spending 1 Threat to add a die to my pool...

15:43, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 47 using 3d20 with rolls of 18,13,16.  Plasma Strike.

Nyshuri's deft manuevering dodged the plasma strike, the sphere blazing past the ship and missing it by mere meters. Inertial dampeners struggled to compensate for the erratic maneuvering, as crew everywhere were tossed in their seats. Decker could already read dozens more of the ports powering up.

OOC: Actions?  We alternate at this point, PC, alien, PC, etc... so who's up? :)

This message was last edited by the GM at 22:50, Sun 15 Aug 2021.

Thrown from his chair, Dr. Ranse manages to avoid hitting the floor, but just barely.

"Are you alright Dr. Verghese?"

If Azami's replacement had arrived, he will check on that person as well.

In reply to Starfleet Command (msg # 121):

OOC: Well, you did already answer most of the questions I'd have. Spending the about to expire momentum gives me 3 questions. So.

1. How quickly do the projectiles lose cohesion? i.e., what is their range?
2 and 3. Can the shields be tuned to more effective resist the damage and drain?

"Captain!" Decker didn't exactly sound panicked, but there was a tone of alarm in his voice that those who had worked with him since he had come aboard had not heard from him before. "I read several more...dozens...of those emitters powering up. That discharge was a form of ionized plasma that will eat through our shields - they will not offer us substantial protection. I'm trying to get a read on their range, but I recommend immediate withdrawal!"

ch'Pertha hit the Red Alert button, as he directed the helm for a "Evasive retreat, Nyshuri ... Katharint maneauver".

The Katharent maneauver was a rarely used, but well documented tactic.  It was, by definition, a retreat/withdrawal ... by initially flying at the enemy in an spinning, tumbling manner, before passing them ... swiftly and with deftly performed maneauvers that made the ship particularly hard to target.
It was a daring maneauver, but had the advantage that most enemy didn't expect such a reckless(?) act, AND it gave the performing ship some idea of how quickly the enemy was able to track and re-target their weapons.

Even as that was happening, he said to Saghalie, "Screech them, hard".


Please, maybe we already asked this ...  how big is the entity ship, compared to the Indie?

The ship surges, violently, shifting and tilting despite the inertia dampners.

Unexpected, it no doubt sends crewmembers lurching, staggering, or even flying in some areas of the ship, and the bay is no exception.  Taken off-guard, Azami reels, taking three steps before shifting her center of balance beneath herself, her body automatically hunting for and adjusting to the ship’s movement.  Uncontrolled movement becomes a guided search for something to hang onto – preferably a wall.  She needs a wall; it not only grants more stability, but gives two surfaces from which she can push herself off.  That might be necessary, as this is a bay rather than an empty hallway; should anything break loose, there could be a heavy weight tumbling in her direction at any moment.  Including, potentially, the shuttle, and Azami would rather have the chance to at least try to hurl herself out of way.

Then the red-alert siren – belatedly – begins to howl*, informing them that the situation has now officially gone south.  As if, the petty officer grimly considers, they hadn’t known that already from the wildly bucking deck.  Assuming she manages to gain some kind of stability, Azami’s eyes snap from person to person on the away team, hunting for any injured and, in truth, searching for her friend.

* OOC - based on the Captain’s post!
This message was last edited by the player at 01:17, Tue 17 Aug 2021.

D'rala falls sideways for a surprising moment before grabbing hold of a small metal rail divider. Holding fast, she swayed on her feet for a few more seconds, before the ship had apparently adjusted to whatever had just occurred.

"Everyone alright?" she asked the assembled team.

"Aye Commander," the Gorn who went by Daniel replied. "5 by 5."

Braced against the wall, continuing to assess the status of the group - those she can see, in any case - Azami raises her voice.  "Yes, commander."  For the moment, the ship appears to have stabilized, but that might not last - glancing around, she checks for the nearest safety area, where securing themselves might be a possibility.

It could, in truth, be best to be aboard the shuttle.

"Should we board and strap in, commander?" the medtech calls out.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:11, Tue 24 Aug 2021.

Tsol and his shift create and beam ll kinds of communications signals at teh menacing vessel with wildly varying frequencies up and down the spectrum.

Thrown to the deck, Verghese looked dazed, then scrambled to his feet with the spryness of youth.  "Did we get hit?" he asked, clinging to the desk.

Behind him, enlisted medics and techs righted themselves and prepared for casualties.

OOC: The range is comparable to a photon torpedo as a quick estimate.
Tuning the shields is theoretically possible, but would require more sampling, i.e., more projectiles to scan.

Under the Captain's direction, Nyshuri aimed the Independence right at the enemy, then wove an evasive winding pattern towards - and ultimately past - the looming alien craft.

ACTION: Evasive Maneuvers by Nyshuri. Conn + Daring, assisted by Indy's Structure + Conn. 09:42, Today: ENS Nyshuri rolled 21 using 2d20 with rolls of 4,17.  Evasive Manuevers.
09:43, Today: ENS Nyshuri rolled 19 using 1d20 with rolls of 19.  Structure + Conn.

As bad as that looks, it's a success.  This gives a Difficulty penalty of 1 to the alien's attacks.

As the Independence wove past the alien ship - which, despite its appearance, wasn't much bigger than her - it unleashed another plasma blast, a miniature blazing fireball that looped out at the ship.

09:46, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 24 using 3d20 with rolls of 11,6,7.  Plasma Strike.
That's 2 successes.  Just missed, thanks to Evasive Manuevers. 1 Threat was spent to buy the alien an extra die.

As the ship flew past, Tsolo hit it with a broad-band COMMs screech, varying frequencies, up and down the scale!

OOC: To save time, I'll roll for Tsolo.  It's CONTROL + ENGINEERING on 2d20.  Buying a 3rd d20 for 1 Momentum!

10:00, Today: Starfleet Command, on behalf of LT Tsolo Kloshe Saghalie, rolled 22 using 3d20 with rolls of 2,9,11.  COMMS jamming.

That's 2 successes!  1 extra Momentum, which goes back in the pool.

The lights and glows on the alien ship flickered in response, almost the equivalent of... rapid blinking.

And then the Independence was past.

OOC: Tsolo's screech cost the alien an action, which would have been (wait for it) another Plasma Strike. ;)

OOC: Assuming the ship keeps going, you guys are free and clear to post.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:08, Sat 28 Aug 2021.

"Yes, everyone, aboard the shuttle," D'rala replied. She stood by the door to ensure each of the crewmembers boarded safely before stepping on herself. "Everyone strap in, just in case."

ch'Pertha held firm to the command chair, as the inertial dampeners attempted to make the Evasive Maneuvering comfortable.
The plasm ball that looped out at the Independence as it careened past the living entity showed the speed and agility with which that ship could retarget ... and gave the combat savvy Andorian an appreciation for what they were up against in this situation.
The fireball also, having travelled on into empty space, showed the Independence the range of that attack, before the plasma ball dissipated harmlessly.

So, it hits on a 7 or better; and normally fires with 2 die.   Please, <b>How many die do we use?  and what is our regular 'to hit' number?


As the Independence made safe range, ch'Pertha said, "Well done, all.
Helm, bring us around into a defensive perimeter, outside the range of those fireballs.  Take us to the opposite side of the system from the Entity's position and plot us a swift retreat path should it become necessary.
Continue scanning the entity device for movement or reaction
Science, continue scanning Oort Cloud for any signs of the entities offspring".

To confirm:   the planet is within the Oort Cloud.    The Entity is outside the Oort Cloud ... with us, hopefully, on the counter side.
Please, at full, SAFE movement into the Cloud towards the planet, how long would it take us to get there?


"Commander Vex, prepare your team for an intrusive insertion into the system.  We may need to 'kick you out the passenger side door' as we fly by".

Heading into the shuttle, Daniel quickly finds the seat furthest from the door that hasn't been taken, and straps in.

  The petty officer gives a quick nod to the commander's orders.  Without hesitation, she moves toward the shuttle door.  The deck continues to shift and move beneath her, but without its previous violence; whatever the situation, the ship's systems now seem to be able to keep up with it.  Bag in-hand, Azami hurries into the shuttle - should anyone require assistance, she stands ready to help.  Should they not, she boards and, much like Petty Officer Zogoyah, chooses the seat the furthest from the door not already taken.

Once there, she swiftly straps herself into place, then secures her bag of supplies to the same straps, keeping it at hand. "Is anyone injured?" the medtech calls out when the boarding is complete.

Priorities, priorities.

Once that particular question has been answered, or not, her gaze seeks out T'Lara; the medtech offers a rueful half-smile and a shrug to the counselor.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:06, Sun 29 Aug 2021.

Decker redirects the ship's main scanners back to the Oort cloud, while tasking the passive sensors only to keep track of the artifact. Without turning away from the readouts, he calls out to the Captain, "Sir, do you want me here, or do you want me to join Commander Vex's team? I can send someone else in my place."

"Not I, PO Amamiya!" Daniel answers promptly, figuring no answer at all would be taken as an affirmative. He glanced about to see if he saw anyone injured but unable to reply.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:46, Mon 30 Aug 2021.

The sudden rocking of the ship almost threw T’Lara off her feet.  Had she been pulled backward, rather than forward, she would have been, too.  Fortunately, she was facing, more or less, the same direction as the ship’s new trajectory, that after staggering a couple of steps forward she quickly regained her balance.

Then the alarms went off, and T’Lara first made sure none of the others were seriously hurt or required any assistance before rushing into the shuttle and strapping in with the rest.  This wasn’t the worse jolt she has experienced, by far, but even a mild one could result in injuries, and likely some crewmembers on board the Independence suffered some bruises.   Hopefully, nothing too serious.

“I’m fine” she gave Azami a gentle nod.  Her heartbeat was starting to slow down, her breathes more even.

The target number is your Control + Security, assisted by the ship's Weapons + Security.  You would roll 2 dice for yourself (as the tactical officer firing), and one die for the ship.  Hope that helps!



Running around the Oort cloud to the opposite side can be done safely using warp drive, which won't take long.

Going through the Oort cloud itself, in this specific case, would be very dangerous at warp.  But once through, warp speed is possible.  Total travel time would be around an hour.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:52, Mon 06 Sept 2021.

And we have to be on the ‘inside’ of the Oort Cloud (where the planet is) to perform our scans, yes?
This message was last edited by the player at 11:48, Tue 07 Sept 2021.

OOC: We cannot scan the planet from outside the Oort cloud. Not meaningfully, anyway. We have to go through it and be on the other side. To get a really detailed scan we'd need to be in orbit. OTOH, once we're through we can use warp drive again, so it's a very quick trip.

After considering the situation a moment, and taking in the council of his senior officers (including ooc chatter, which I assume reflects IC discussions),  ch'Pertha stood.

Hitting his comms-badge, he said to Vex, "Commander, ready your team for launch.   Depending, it might be a fly-by launch.   Once on the planet, I want you to take responsibility for a complete analysis of the situation there.
Expect the colony to have been over-run by these alien beings:  treat this operation with the highest regard".

Turning to Decker he said, "I need you either at your station, or on that shuttle, Lt Commander" ... time to make a choice.  "Either way, I want your department both scanning the ship-entity for any signs of movement or response ... AND begin planetary scans the moment its possible.   Make sure all scan data also goes to Commander Vex".

To Helm he said, "On my word, we are going to make great haste, with all reasonable safety, into orbit of the colony planet ... fully prepared for a swift, fighting retreat if we receive an unfriendly welcome".

Into his comms-badge again, "Engineering, as soon as we are in orbit, I want those surveillance drones dropped, in case we need to retreat.    Program them for atmospheric insertion, with self-pres evasion protocols, including the use of the planets terrain".

"Doctor, I want you scanning the entity and anything that emerges from it,  Using the data to scan the Oort and the planet for similar biological signs".

Finally,
"I want to hear an "Aye" from each of you when you are ready for 'Go'.  Lets do this, people".


Sorry, T'Lara, I have no idea what to designate you to in this immediate situation.

"Sounds like we're going to hit the Oort cloud at speed, best to be strapped in," Dr. Layne said to Dr. Verghese. "Things could get rough."

A fearsome grimace spread across PO Zogoyah's green face. For those who knew him, it displayed his anticipation of action, though to those unfamiliar with the Gorn might mistake it for a dangerous rage.

Danial Trainor strapped in.    It looked like they were in for a wild ride.

Decker nodded and swiveled back to his console, opening a channel to his full department, "Lieutenant Kezix, grab your field kit and report to the XO in the shuttle bay immediately. You'll be accompanying them to the planet."

"Lieutenant Williams, we're heading into the cloud. Forward and lateral sensors need to penetrate as best they can as we go in - if there are navigational hazards, flag the helm directly. We're also looking for energy signatures in case there are more of those artifacts inside."

"Lieutenant Torik, you and Ensigns Jorel and McAdams keep the aft sensors on the artifact as we pull away from it. We need to know if it's pursuing, if it's preparing to fire again...anything."

"All other departments, continue your analysis but be ready for a bumpy ride."

He turned to ch'Pertha, "Aye, Captain. Science is ready."

D'rala turns to take stock of her jostled, but uninjured team, before pressing on her communicator.

"Aye, Captain. Shuttle is ready for launch at your order."

After, she turns back towards the team.

"We are likely launching imminently. It may be flyby. We are operating under the likely but unproven assumption that the colony has been overtaken. This will be first and foremost an assessment mission, although our objective may change as we receive information."

"Aye, Commander!" The Gorn was eager for action, all the time on the ship was fine, but not what he lived for.

  Pleased that T'Lara remains well - as well as they can be in the circumstances - Azami grants a thin smile in return before focusing her attention on the XO.  Potentially nothing more than a flyby, for recon?  The colony potentially under external control?  She grimaces, but holds her peace - it's not her place to second-guess command.  Better to be prepared to support whatever decision is made.  Ergo, Azami contents herself with a short nod as Zogoyah barks an affirmative, more than enthusiastic for both of them.

If it's a flyby, it's a flyby; if not....

Once again, she checks her equipment and supplies before securing them.

T'Lara nodded in response to the commander.  She really hoped she was wrong, for the sake of the colonists and the away team, but there was a very good chance she was right.  They just encountered a new alien species, supposedly belligerent.  Their presence in the system would be the most likely explanation for why they've lost contact with the colony to begin with.

The Independence breached the cloud at best safe speed - safety of course being a relative thing.  Nothing was completely 'safe' in space.

There are some harrowing moments, and it occurs to a few senior officers that Ensign Nyshuri is very junior and not quite the hot dog pilot that Mcreeg was.  The young woman's eyes don't vary from her instruments, and her frame is taught with stress.

In the shuttle bay, everyone is ready, stowing their gear and bracing for an emergency launch.

Despite fears, the alien entity does not pursue through the cloud.  It merely looms beyond it.  Waiting?

And then the Indy is through the clouds and warping towards the planet.

Dropping out of warp, the sleek Miranda-class cruiser made for Coriolanus IV at high impulse.  The planet loomed serenely before them... no signs of anything dastardly having occurred, at least on visual.  Scans were complicated by strange magnetic fields.

There was no reply to COMMS.

As the ship was en-route to the planet, LT Kezik made his way to the shuttle bay and up the ramp of the shuttle. He was panting a bit with exertion, hauling a field jacket and pack in his arms. "Apologies, Commander Vex. Apparently there was a last minute change of plans. Lieutenant Commander Decker sent me in his stead."

He glanced around the shuttle interior for a moment and then began to stow his gear.

ch'Pertha stood at the centre of the Bridge, as the ship passed through the cloud, and came in close upon the planet.

With a moment to consider, and to sense whether there was to be any immediate reaction from the Space Entity^tm, he said,
"Continue to monitor the Space Faring entity, Doctor Layne.
Begin full scans of the planetary surface, Ltn Commander Decker.

Commander Vex, you are clear to launch.    Continue now on your own initiative", he said, leaving her to her own devices.   Whatever the Landing Party did now, it was at Vex's direction.

Now ... now came the waiting.  Waiting for data to be attained.   Waiting for some ... any ... movements from the surface, or from the creature-ship out there.
Now came the anticipation:  as they waited on tenterhooks ... ready to respond to any of many conceivable events.
Waiting.

To fill the silence, and to keep his crew appraised, ch'Pertha hit the ship-wide PA again, "Attention Independence.   We have breached the Oort Cloud, and are now holding position above Coriolanus IV.   Our ... counterparts of unknown origin ... remain outside the system, and have not reacted further to our presence, but we will be remaining at Red Alert regardless.
Maintain your stations, and prepared".


What is our 'Momentum' into this scene looking like?   Do we need a small top up?  If so, lets make that an inspirational post:
- rolled 7,8.  Presence+Command (with Inspiration Focus).
that would be two successes

"Aye, Captain."

Decker tasked the starship's powerful primary sensors to scan the planet surface, beginning with the colony location.

I assume we're in a geosynchronous orbit or something similar, which seemed common in Trek, OR at the very least we entered orbit in LoS of the colony.

He also ordered the officers and crew manning the lateral and aft sensors to keep an eye out for the artifact or anything else in orbit or approaching the planet.

Rolling 3 dice (buying 1 with momentum) Reason (12) + Science (5) plus 1 ship's die Sensors (9) + Science (3). Difficulty reduced by 1 due to Advanced Sensor Suites.
09:58, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 46 using 4d20 with rolls of 14,6,17,9.  Initial planet scan (3 Decker dice plus 1 ship's die).
Hm. The 17 should still be a success, but we'll re-roll it for fun. What could go wrong?
09:59, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 7 using 1d20 with rolls of 7.  Re-roll of 17 on initial planet scan.
Decker rolls 14, 6, and 7. Three successes. The ship rolls a 9, for a fourth success.

Pleased with how easily they had slipped thru the Oort cloud, the doctor wondered why they had ever slowed down for it in the first place.

He does his best to scan the alien entity/ship, but at what might be the better part of a light year away, and on the opposite side of a thicker than average Oort cloud, he doubts he will be able to do much more than determine if it enters the solar system. Perhaps that would be enough.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Mon 20 Sept 2021.

D’rala’s nerves momentarily sharpened at receiving the go ahead. She allowed it to stay with her a moment, before pushing through to the necessary calm.

She turned towards the shuttle pilot with a nod. “We are clear for takeoff.”

There was nothing left to do now but stay ready as they launched and approached. She set her eyes on the view screen and her mind to the task.

Once he'd settled into his seat and strapped in, he looked around the shuttle, beaming.

"It's been a while since I've had the chance to go on an away mission. And in a shuttle, no less! What's the mission, then? We don't usually hear much down in the primary sensor junction other than from the CSO."

Azami only offers a small incline of her head when the lieutenant joins the shuttle group; she's seated and strapped in, there isn't much else she can do...and certainly she's not expected to welcome him, herself.  Rolling her head back against the padded seat, she closes her eyes, turning her attention inward and focusing herself on tension.  Muscle group by muscle group surrenders to her will, and her body is fully relaxed by the time the lieutenant has his gear stowed and his body strapped in.

It's a handy exercise from her youth, one she still practices despite a lack of need; these days, her body relaxes automatically when under actual threat.

Her eyes open when the lieutenant fires a question around the cabin, but her lips remain closed; again, it's not for her to answer.  However, she does take a moment for a brief assessment.

Denobulan - little sleep or food necessary, extremely strong immune system, radiation considered a strong hazard...Denobulan MALE - take care with physical contact.

There are other issues, of course, but none that are likely to show up in this particular drop.  Unless they bump into a Denobulan female during the mating cycle, AND another male, which seems unlikely.

.....

Checking her bag, she finds no niaxilin anywhere.  Hopefully the odds will be with them.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:20, Tue 21 Sept 2021.

OOC: So much for a regular schedule... best laid plans, etc.  Onward!

You lost 1 momentum for a new scene starting (planetary orbit), so ch'Pertha's speech will top ya'll up to 6.

The shuttle mission crew piled aboard, ready for launch, albeit with some last minute changes.



Dr. Layne's bioscans continued to monitor the strange alien ship-being, albeit at far-reduced quality once they broke through the Oort cloud.  The ship-being made no attempt at following the Independence, and the hellish plasma bombs it had hurled at the ship - thankfully without connecting - had long-since ceased. As they neared the planet, interference from the cloud chopped the scan quality down to garbage. Finally, he loses it in the wash of static.

LCDR Decker's scans turned towards the planet, even as the captain queued the shuttle for launch. Visual scans from orbit reveal no significant damage to the planet, save to the settlement itself. The city’s landing pad is strewn with the wreckage of the colony’s only warp-capable transport ship, and there is no visible human activity. Scans of the surface are inconclusive, as it’s covered with electromagnetic anomalies. Since scanners are unable to establish transporter coordinates, the only way down to the surface is via shuttlecraft. The colony had approximately 200 workers, researchers, administrators, and support staff, so taking more shuttles down allows the crew to evacuate more survivors, assuming any are left.

With a mild acceleration of impulse power, the Sacajawea flies clear of the port shuttlebay, out into the void.


This message was last edited by the GM at 03:48, Sat 25 Sept 2021.

There's not much call for anything at the moment; the shuttle has launched, they're on the way to the planet.  No doubt the ship is scanning everything it can, but Azami's curiosity will need to wait for a report.

For now, it's a matter of 'hurry up and wait', a situation with which she has considerable experience.  The Medtech lays her head back against her seat, taking a moment for a quick glance toward each of the petty officers.  Security; she's not familiar with either of them, yet.  Nor has she any familiarity actually working with a Gorn.

The drop will at least remedy that particular lack.

In a voice pitched to carry only to Zogoyah - and Trainor, should that non-com be seated with the others - she queries, "Have you been on the ship long?"

"A few years," Daniel replied. He felt his pulse rushing at the thought of encroaching action. Nothing pleased him more than a chance to prove his value to the Federation, and the Independence.