Azami inclines her head at Zogoyah's answer; a few years is a good deal of time, and the Gorn male must be quite familiar with the ship and its personnel.  She swivels slightly to face Trainor as he, too, replies, tacking on a query of his own.  "Less than that, I fear."  One corner of her mouth twitches up, a brief ghost of a wry smile. "I boarded at the last starbase."   Jumping onto the ship and into...the frying pan?  No, that's not how it goes.

"Hopefully the situation on the planet will not require any of our particular areas of expertise," she continues, keeping enough volume in her words to also include Zogoyah.  "Though...it seems likely there will be some call for either or all of us."

Then she winces slightly, turning to stare at Lt. Harada.  The word was mumbled, but contains sibilants, and Azami's awareness of her surroundings is prodigious.  Had it been another enlisted, the medtech might have made quiet comment regarding professional language in front of command staff; as it is, it's not her place to bring up, and in any case it's not utterly appalling (though there are several ways, of varying severity, that a universal translator might render the word).  Still, it's clear the lieutenant isn't feeling well.  It could be some kind of emotional reaction, in which case...that would be T'Lara's business. Lieutenant Commander T'Lara, Azami reminds herself.

Or it could be something physical: a just-discovered injury, or even air-sickness (unlikely with the inertial dampers, but not completely out of the question).

Raising her voice, she calls across the shuttle.  "Lieutenant Harada - are you injured or unwell?"

D'rala watched the view screen intently as they launched. The sensation of g-force from takeoff was familiar by now: almost comforting where it used to be alien.

She let her thoughts center on the steps ahead of them, the landing, the planting of the beacons, and the likelihood of finding the settlement overrun. It was good for the crew to talk between themselves, if it helped them keep calm and ready, and she had no intention of even casually interjecting herself until PO Amamiya called out to LT Harada. D'rala turned her head.

"All well?" she asked, not having witnessed whatever it was that had caused Amamiya to ask the question.

T'Lara used what little time they had till they made planetfall reviewing the last reports from the outpost.  Perhaps the logs could provide some clue as to what happened to the colonists.

She placed her PADD over her lap and closed her eyes for a brief moment once they entered the planet's atmosphere.  The jerking of the shuttle was nauseating, and though she wasn't quite 'air-sick', she didn't want to risk hurling in the tight confines of the shuttle.  She did have some practice with atmospheric entry at the academy,  ​but air turbulence, or 'atmosphere' in general, was still something she wasn't accustomed to.

And it looked like at least one other member of the landing party was having difficulties also?

Having taken a quick glance at Kimiko, she decided if was best not to mention her distress, or stare.  The young woman seemed physically fine, and the entire shuttle crew taking note of her discomfort would probably only serve to embarrass her further.

Harada glanced up, startled, as Azami spoke. There was a moment of disorientation, then...

"No," she said in a voice tight with self-recrimination.  "I'm fine."

When the Commander asked as well, she replied more crisply, "Aye Commander.  Everything's OK."

T'Lara's perusal of the last transmitted logs of the colony showed routine matters of mining and personnel management, as well as trying to integrate the newly-arrived science team.  There was some minor squabbles over pecking order between the science team and the miners, as one would expect.

The shuttle neared the planet.  Scans showed 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. The colony itself is easily visible from orbit.

OOC: Who's actually piloting the shuttle?

As the shuttle kisses the atmosphere and begins its descent, the anomalies increase the Difficulty by affecting the shuttle’s engines, which calls for fancy flying, a Control + Conn Task with a Difficulty of 2 for Mr. Zogoyah. LT Kezik can learn useful information in transit to create an Advantage, with a Reason + Science Task with a Difficulty of 2, to provide a real-time map of the phenomena for easier flying.

The electromagnetic interference is stronger in some parts of the planet and weaker in others, but it’s far too strong to allow transport anywhere close to the facility.Some of the disturbances appear to move at random. There is no sign of activity in the facility.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:21, Sat 09 Oct 2021.

Obviously Lt. Harada isn't in perfect condition, but clearly she's fully capable and uninjured at the moment.  Perhaps it's nerves?  Relieved, Azami settles back to enjoy the flight.  And she does; despite the inertial dampeners, she can feel some of the shuttle's motion and it soothes her nerves.  Even the buffeting from entering the atmosphere is something she can enjoy, so long as it doesn't become extreme turbulence.  Like the tick-tock of the absolutely ancient clock in her father's study, it is - in its own way - soothing.

Azami strongly doubts anything in the rest of the mission will be as peaceful.

The ASO had logged into the shuttle's computer to access the sensor data as soon as the craft had left Independence's bay, but as the turbulence increased, he focused his attention on the nearby and upcoming atmospheric and energy patterns. "Just a second. Let me see if I can find a clearer path for you."

19:21, Today: LT Kezik rolled 21 using 3d20 with rolls of 10,5,6.  Scan a route for the shuttle. Reason (11) + Science (4) plus 1 momentum die. That's three successes. He'll spend the extra success to try and determine the source of the energetic phenomena.

"There we go, Petty Officer. That might be a little safer, hm?"

Trainor had, when his 'partner' took the pilot seat, claimed the co- seat beside him ... all the better to assist with navigation, weapons and conn as needed.

When the environmentals washed dangerously across the shuttle, Trainor attempted to help Zogoyah out by taking control of the auxiliary thrusters to stabilise the vehicle.
- rolled 2d20 with rolls of 8,5.  Control+Conn (11) ... to assist

D'rala grimaced as the readings appeared. The largest vessel on this colony in pieces on the landing pad had only a few probable explanations. As they descended lower and the emptiness of the Colony came into view, a shiver crawled over her skin.

"Any signs of life down there?" she asked the men at the control panel.

Too busy riding his bucking bronco down to the pad to run a scan right now, Daniel hoped someone else could handle that.

Having passed the navigational data up to the helm, Kezik re-oriented the shuttle's sensors down towards the ground. "Well, there wasn't anything we could detect before, but perhaps as we get closer... All this interference may mean we'll need to wait and search once we're on the surface." He grinned, "But let's see what I can do! Hm. Anything?"

I rolled already, sent the results to the GM, because I didn't know what they meant.

The Gorn continues to struggle with the controls.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:47, Fri 15 Oct 2021.

OOC:

quote:

04:08, Sun 10 Oct: PO Daniel Zogoyah rolled 26 using 2d20 with rolls of 14,12.  Control+Conn (11).

Oof. Zero successes. Even with support from Trainor and Kezik, this isn't going to be pretty.

OOC: An interesting nuance of the game mechanics, if the initial task has no successes, assists cannot score successes.  So...

The shuttle hit a magnetic pocket and then dropped like a brick, nosing over into a full dive.  Inertial dampners struggled to keep everyone from being pressed against the back wall.  Clouds wished past the viewport as the planet's surface drew increasingly closer.

Kezik had mapped out a better path but the pocket had diverted the shuttle hopelessly off-course...

Struggling not to scream, Daniel struggles to try and regain control.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Mon 18 Oct 2021.

The bottom falls out of the world.

The shuttle goes from a controlled descent into an dive labelled Imminent Crash™.  Azami has no idea what has happened, and such conjecture isn't exactly an important part of her thoughts right now.  Instead, she clamps her hands down on her bag - strapped to her own webbing - until the fingers are white, and stares straight ahead as the shuttle howls down the altitude marks.

Face several shades paler, she stares into death, and memory vomits debris into her spinning mind.

...”I can’t!  I can’t do this!” thirteen year-old Azami wails, tears streaking her bloodied, swollen cheeks, a drip forming at the end of her nose...

...the scent of burned copper in the air, the young Vulcan man on the cold, hard floor before her, his stoic features twisted with rage...

...the lights outside the windows lay shadows on the sleeping boy’s face...

Blind, glassy, her pale grey eyes stare into the past until the shuttle jolts, snapping her head and sweeping her gaze across the cabin.  Others, here.  Other crew.  For an instant, she fixes on T'Lara, remembering the woman's kindness.  Azami, the crew, T'Lara - if control isn't regained, they'll all be scattered, burning wreckage.

The dire threat triggers responses; sadly useless in this situation.

Her breathing deepens, her body relaxes from frozen to firm, and Azami's eyes clear.  Focused, she struggles to ride the wild fall through the atmosphere, fear screaming within her but no longer in control.  And now her eyes sharpen, shifting from face to face, hunting for some way she might assist, even if it comes to nothing in the end.

For there's nothing she can do about the dive itself; nothing at all.

"THIS IS NOT THE COURSE I PLOTTED, PETTY OFFICER!"

LT Kezik then clenched his jaw shut to cut off a (further) scream and tried to focus on the sensors again. He'd helped analyze the results of a shuttle crash before, and he had no desire to be part of one. Although he only had one wife so far, he had a large family he wanted to see again, and if the shuttle hit another pocket like that there was no way they could recover.

19:17, Today: LT Kezik rolled 31 using 3d20 with rolls of 16,11,4.  Scan a (new) route for the shuttle. Reason (11) + Science (4) plus 1 momentum die. Two successes. If he only needed one, the excess can go back to the pool.

The inertial dampeners struggled to overcome the course-corrections, and for a moment, everyone was in free-fall.

The irony of a Gorn - a notoriously slow cold-blooded reptilian - moving quickly was not lost on everyone.  But the PO moved with deliberation and alacrity and TRIED to right the plunging craft.  Kezik, his voice a bit shrill, plotted a new, alternate course.

OOC: Kezik has 'created an advantage'.  Zogoyah may make another Control + Conn check. Difficulty is only 1 this time thanks to Kezik's action.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:49, Thu 21 Oct 2021.

Perhaps calm, cool and collected didn't exactly cover his behavior, but deliberate and focused would do.


17:53, Today: PO Daniel Zogoyah rolled 26 using 2d20 ((20,6)).
This message was last updated by the player at 23:54, Thu 21 Oct 2021.

Hung against her harness as the shuttle plunged like a stone, LT Harada cursed under her breath.  "Shimata!"

Then, teeth clenched, she felt the inertial dampeners re-assert themselves even as they fell. Anyone watching her face could see quick calculations firing off behind her eyes.  Then with a snarl, she slapped her palm on the harness release and was free in a plunging brick buffeted by atmosphere.  Clutching the chair backs to either side of her, she turned to Azami and said, "Kimi wa! Watashi to kite! Isogashī!"

Pushing off, she struggled down the aisle towards the back of the shuttle.



This message was last edited by the player at 01:11, Thu 21 Oct 2021.

D'rala gripped the hand rest tightly as the shuttle hit the pocket and tilted forward. She kept otherwise still, not wanting to contribute to any panic. She'd had her share of rough flights, and normally if you just held fast against the fear, it would smooth out soon enough.

Instead, as the pilot indicated he was course correcting, the shuttle dropped hard.

The sensation of free fall momentarily took her breath away. She whipped to look at the copilots, leaning over to view their screens, hands gripping the seats.

At the sound of a click, she looked back over her shoulder. To her horror, Lt. Harada had unbuckled herself. If the shuttle stopped falling, the woman would hit the ceiling, hard.

"Harada!" D'rala being seated near the front of the shuttle, she reached a hand back towards the engineer, intending to pull her towards the front if accepted. If Harada had a way to right the ship, they needed to get her strapped in at the console.

The shuttle continues to bounce and sway as chaos erupts in the pilot compartment.  That's what it sounds like, anyway, what with all of the shouting.  Ghost-faced, Azami continues to hold steady, rolling with the movement while remaining somewhat firm in her seat.  For an instant, her bag begins to lift off her lap as the shuttle seems to forget gravity exists; then the acceleration changes again and Azami clamps the carry-all back down.  It's secured, but still...better safe than sorry.

Then with quick movements, Lt. Harada uncouples herself from safety and begins to shift her way through the shuttle with an order shouted in Azami's direction.

That gets the lieutenant a blink of surprise - the medtech? - but Azami's hands are already moving; there's no question of waiting for clarification.  The straps unclip and she pivots from her seat, instantly clamping the straps back together once free, this time around her carry-all - that will at least hold her bag at her seat.  While it might flop around a little, it won't swing and slam into someone's face.  "Waka-te", she calls out in reply, switching languages back to standard.  "Keep this safe!" the PO shoots to Trainer, slapping her bag once as she follows Harada toward the rear of the shuttle.

Then Vex calls out to Harada.

For a barest instant, Azami hesitates; Vex is the commanding officer, here.  But Vex's call isn't directed her way, and neither is it countermanding Harada...yet.  Grimacing, the young PO continues her controlled movement toward the back of the shuttle.  She's not certain why Harada wants her, but there must be a reason.  "Lieutenant," she calls out.  "Enjiniaringu o suru no wa jozu jyanai!"

It's at least worth warning Harada that her capacity for technical work outside of medical is...less-than stellar.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
OOC - As noted, I stink on ice at Romanji, so I'm just writing it as phonetically as I can.  Not 100% sure on the grammar, either, so any people more skilled at Nihonjin please correct me.  Privately or not, as you will.  ^_^  Always open to criticism, only way to learn.

Azami will try to match her movement to the shift and sway of the shuttle, and move to follow Lt. Harada.

Please keep in mind that the carry-all is not only strapped to the seat (as best possible in a short time) but is actually secured to the straps themselves - if it comes loose from the seat, it's not going to fly around the cabin because it's still attached to the straps.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 01:17, Fri 22 Oct 2021.

T'Lara's heart fluttered as the shuttle plummeted toward the ground.   Her anxiety turned into outright panic as the pilots failed to regain control of the vessel.  Being so helpless was the worst thing about it.  She wasn't a pilot.   There was nothing she could do to help Zogoyah and Kezik other than sitting tight and keeping out of their way.
She struggled to control her breathes, and closing her eyes didn't keep her from thinking of the impending disaster.

I can't die like this!

Anything would be preferable to dying still strapped to her seat.  Anything.

Harada's voice prompted her to open her eyes once again.   She could only understand a smattering of what she was saying (the universal translator, it seemed, was as reliable as the inertial dampers ), but she thought she understood her intent.

Would shifting enough weight toward the back of the shuttle be enough to regain equilibrium?

She didn't hesitate, even if her assumption proved to be wrong.  She unfasted her own belt, and using the seats for support pulled herself toward the rear