Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

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Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4648Post Kersare
Thu Feb 07, 2019 7:51 pm

ON:

<<Isabel & Derek's (PNPC) quarters, Day 1, 0745>>

Isabel glanced around her quarters as she picked up her PADD, going through her mental checklist to ensure she hadn't forgotten anything. Her shift on the bridge was about to begin, though she didn't expect anything particularly exciting to take place. The various tests and analyses from their mission were still underway, so for the time being the Malinche was simply en route back to Starbase 122. Satisfied, she headed to the door, but her comm badge chirped.

=A=Bridge to Captain Kersare.=A=

Frowning, Isabel tapped her comm badge to reply, "Go ahead, Bridge."

=A=Captain, you have an incoming transmission from Admiral Tavez (PNPC). Do you want it transferred to your quarters, or would you prefer to take it in your Ready Room?=A=

"Transfer it to my quarters, please. Kersare out," she tapped her comm badge again to close the channel and slid into the seat at her desk. Just after she turned on her console, the StarFleet emblem appeared briefly, followed by the transmission. Isabel smiled at Olivia, "Good morning, Admiral."

Olivia nodded and her expression remained neutral as she said, "Captain. We received your report regarding your mission at Outpost Beta 12. I understand that your crew is investigating the information you obtained and that you're currently headed to Starbase 122. Normally I would've tried to get in touch sooner, but as I'm sure you can understand, I wanted to review the information you sent a little closer before doing so."

"Of course. It is a lot to take in, even for us...and we experienced it. Is there something I can clarify for you?" Thus far, the Admiral hadn't revealed what she really wanted. Isabel knew, though, that she wouldn't have contacted her just to say she'd read the report.

"Captain, I'm not planning to launch an inquiry right here and now, but you will need to give us a full accounting of what happened and why you felt it necessary to destroy the Outpost," Olivia explained. She held up a hand to stop Isabel from responding right away. "I'm not saying your choice was right or wrong, but it's still the destruction of StarFleet property and it can't just be ignored."

Isabel wasn't surprised. She'd expected to have to answer for her actions. "I understand."

After watching her for a moment, Olivia nodded. "That said, before you report to Starbase 122, we want the Malinche to make a stop at Torva IV. The Federation colony there has had difficulty with some of their equipment and requested assistance. Your ship is closest. Before I officially send you there, though, I want to know...has your ship been experiencing any issues and is all of the evidence from the Outpost safely contained?"

"We've not had any problems with the ship, Admiral, and we are following protocol with everything we retrieved from the Outpost. My department heads have already assured me that they're taking every available precaution," Isabel answered. "Can you give me any more details about what kind of difficulties the colonists have been experiencing?"

"I'll send you what information we have. You can try contacting them once you're in range, but their communications systems can be intermittent this time of year. Once you've finished helping them, report to Starbase 122 as you originally planned. Good luck," Olivia said before nodding and terminating the transmission.

<Bridge, 0805>

After her conversation with the Admiral, Isabel had wasted no time in going to the bridge. She moved towards the center chair, but remained standing as she said, "Flight Control, change course to heading 78 mark 172. Once the course is laid in, engage at warp 6."

Isabel took her seat and pressed the internal comm button on the armrest console. "Malinche crew, this is your Captain speaking. We've been ordered to adjust course and go to the Torva IV colony to help them with some equipment issues. More information will be provided to department heads once it's available. We should arrive in approximately 26 hours. Kersare out."

On the surface, their latest mission seemed simple enough. That was what they'd thought about their mission to check on Outpost Beta 12 though, and look how that turned out...

OFF: Tag all

I'll be adding some information into the Mission Discussion for this mission, so please check that out. :)
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Captain Isabel Kersare
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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4650Post Quinn
Fri Feb 15, 2019 11:01 am

ON:

<< USS Malinche | Bridge | Mission Day 1 | 0801 Hours >>


Revisit. Revise. Revisit. Revise.

Soairse "Elle" Quinn was now more than a decade removed from being that little girl who got home too late to summon medical attention for a father that lay dying. But simply because the event itself was distant, it did not mean the memory was too. And so, as she so often did, so often that it became second nature, Elle turned even the recent past over in her mind, mining it for details and other possible courses of action. Revisiting the past and revising her role in it, even if deep down she knew it might do little good. The past was the past, but she always told herself that if situations similar to said past ever arose in the future, even the slightest tweak in the margins might make a difference. Even the difference. Next time.

For whatever reason, Humanocentrism in the Federation perhaps, it was cliché by now for those in StarFleet to harbor some secret obsession with twentieth century Earth culture. At least for Elle, she found safer harbor and greater comfort in study of the twenty-first. Primarily due to progressive, political and cultural shifts, to be sure, but also for the little things. More personal things. With voice command being such a prominent feature of her day-to-day, she secretly longed for something she never knew: twenty-first century Earth's text-based communications. Because her own approach was often so brash. Always leaping before looking. And because she so often stumbled over words, the global move toward typing out your thoughts for transmission felt quaint. True, the mode of transmission through the aether was faster than what humans of the era had known before, but the message itself allowed the teller of a tale *just* that measure of extra time. Or so Elle imagined.

On Outpost Beta-12, should she have been able to spot the Borg's spider drones before they descended upon them? Should she have thought to run a more thorough sensor sweep beforehand? And at longer range? Korath had survived, thankfully. But could even that near tragedy have been averted, had she have gone in guns blazing, phasers firing on all frequencies? Or would a faster Warp Factor in their initial approach have made some discernible difference in what came to pass?

"Captain on the bridge," came a voice from a neighboring station.

"Flight Control, change course to heading 78 mark 172. Once the course is laid in, engage at warp 6," said Captain Kersare. And though one would be hard-pressed to deduce from her demeanor exactly what was on Kersare's mind, to Elle, the Captain too appeared to be mulling something over....

"Aye, sir," Elle answered, as she set the course.

"Malinche crew, this is your Captain speaking. We've been ordered to adjust course and go to the Torva IV colony to help them with some equipment issues. More information will be provided to department heads once it's available. We should arrive in approximately 26 hours. Kersare out."

Twenty-six more hours then. To revisit and revise. But also, to look ahead.


OFF:
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Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4654Post Tournneau
Sun Feb 17, 2019 2:00 pm

ON:

<<USS Malinche-A -- Main Sickbay -- Mission 25, Day 01 -- 0815 Hours>>

Lt. Toren (PNPC) sat in his office in the middle of the sickbay, reviewing his daily log. The young Vulcan officer was quite diligent with his daily routine. He began at the bottom of the list. There were, of course, the handful of minor injuries and maladies that were treated across the ship; a sprained ankle in the Engineering department, a headache on Deck 2.

He scanned his way upward. A plasma burn in Science Lab 2, a case of upset stomache in the enlisted mess hall.

His gaze stopped at the top of the list - and his primary focus - the patient on the main biobed, Lieutenant Commander Korath.

His patient's physique had healed robustly - he had been able to de-clot the field dressing that Lt. Cdr. Tournneau had applied, and repaired the lacerations to Korath's intestine and liver. After just a few days, the surgery site had formed a firm scar tissue around the sutures and was holding well. His vital signs had stabilized, and his blood work fell mostly in the nominal ranges.

His patient's mental attitude towards healing, however - Toren found to be....taxing.

The First Officer shook his head with an exasperated growl. The medical staff had taken to restraining him due to his insistence that he be allowed to return to duty. The days spent laying in sickbay were maddening; so much so that he would rather raise tribbles than spend another day listening to the plethora of annoying sounds. "Doctor!.. DOCTOR! " he roared. "How much longer must I be a prisoner in this bed!?"

Toren massaged his right temple with two fingers. If only the Klingon mind were as steadfastly devoted to healing as the Klingon body... He rose, gathered his PADD and tricorder, and strode into the sickbay.

"Commander, please, I must remind you that this...anger...will not help you recover faster."

"Anger? " the Klingon snarled at the doctor. "You confuse frustration at the incessant need to keep me cooped up in this dungeon. Had this been a Klingon ship, I'd have been back on duty days ago--"

"However," Toren interrupted, "despite your recalcitrance, your body has somehow woven itself together.

"Based on the scans that I have here," Toren gestured to his PADD, "I will release you from sickbay to resume what, I must firmly reiterate, are light duties only. No away missions, no lifting of any sort, no physical activity beyond walking from your quarters to your duty post. No solid food for the next ninety-six hours. No alcohol. Any deviation from these medical orders will only end in you spending more time as my...prisoner," Toren said wryly.

Korath cursed something that even the universal translator couldn't translate. "I will never understand Starfleet's need to be overly cautious when it comes to medical 'orders'." Despite the low growl in his throat, he had no doubt the Vulcan would make good on his threat. "In the interest of keeping sickbay in one piece doctor; I will comply so long as it does not adversely affect the safety of the ship." It was as close to 'you win' as the warrior could get.

"Very good, Commander. I will also need you to wear this," Toren said as he reached into his lab coat pocket and produced a small disc-shaped object, "for the next ninety-six hours as well. It is a biofunction monitor - if any of your life signs pass or blood chemistry markers pass their nominal values, a medical team will be transported to your location immediately."

"If it means leaving this place I will do as you wish doctor; however unnecessary it appears. " he took the device and attached it. "Satisfied doctor? " the Klingon asked more like a challenge than an inquiry.

Toren bowed slightly. "For now, Commander. Just remember: unless you wish to have your entrails spill out of your abdominal cavity - again - follow my orders. Heal well."

Korath opened his mouth to object again before stopping to process the man's words. Several seconds passed as the Klingon stood there staring. In a hushed tone, barely over a whisper; he spoke. "Thank you doctor. " without another word, he turned and left sickbay.

The doctor turned and walked back to his office. Normally, he would have a nurse assist his patient when being released, but he thought that might be, How do the humans say it? Pushing one's luck? Toren sat at his desk and sighed. The Klingon mind will never cease to puzzle me. They value their physical prowess, yet do not value the maintenance of their health. They seem to all believe themselves to be demi-gods, cutting a path to Sto'Vo'Kor through their enemies. Such dichotomy. Such discord.

Nevertheless, one more patient treated - for the time being.
"Computer, remove patient 23, Commander Korath, from the board. Schedule follow up in five days."

"Acknowledged."

OFF

A joint post by

Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer

USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Toren
Acting Chief Medical Officer

USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
a PNPC of
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Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4656Post Tournneau
Tue Mar 05, 2019 4:02 pm

ON:

<<USS Malinche-A -- Chief Engineer’s Office, Deck 13 -- Mission 25, Day 01 -- 0930 Hours>>

Red tape, red tape, red tape. Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau shook his head as he sat at his desk approving the last Engineering team reports from the week before for submission to the Fleet office. Because of his ordeal with the away mission and being in quarantine, he was a little behind on his paperwork. Derek placed his thumb on the bottom of the PADD he was reading, authenticating the data for transmission, and tossed it on the growing stack on the corner of his desk.

I swear to God, sometimes I miss being out in the black. They never cared this much about protocol or reporting on the Oberon. Out there, we made do with what we had and scrounged for what we didn’t. Derek leaned back in his chair as he reminisced. By the end of that cruise, that engine was barely recognizeable as Starfleet issue. But since we’re so close to home, my goodness, I can’t install a toilet without some Admiral wanting a full goddamned debriefing.

Derek shook his head as he stood. Of course, it could be because this is one of the most advanced ships in the fleet. And because Admiral Kenzie at Starfleet Operations used to be my professor. And because he knows I tend to just….bolt things together.

Derek continued his thoughts as he strode down the hallway towards Lab One down the hallway. But that’s why they like me, too - right? Right.

The door to the lab opened with a quiet hiss, and revealed the two things that had been preoccupying Derek’s mind in the past several days: the horrible cybernetic probe that the away team recovered from Outpost Beta Twelve, sitting on the main bench under a level ten containment field; and the tall, blue woman standing above it running an analysis, Lieutenant Viradia Beladd (PNPC).

Derek came up behind her quietly, and stood at the terminal next to her. “Good morning, Lieutenant.”

Viradia looked up from her scans at the familiar voice. “Oh, hello Dere - Commander,” she said wryly. “I’m just taking another look at this.”

“Me too,” Derek said, now leaning on the console and staring at Viradia.

Viradia’s face flushed slightly purple. “That’s not what I meant - well, at least not right now,” she said, looking down at him with narrowed eyes. “Anyway, the probe - or spider - or whatever we’re calling it - it’s been dead since we brought it aboard. Nothing’s changed for the past few days. We’ve been scanning it, but it’s hard to get a good look at it without dropping the containment field and dissecting it.”

Derek turned his attention back to the display he was leaning on. “Yeah - no thanks. What about the nanoprobes that were on and in it, any signs of activity or transmissions?”

“No, the probe body doesn’t have a long-range transmitter, so communications were only local to the Outpost. We were able to recover all of the nanoprobes off and out of the thing for analysis - they all look pretty standard to what has been seen before, but they’ve all been polarized and fused by phaser fire. Their memory banks were completely garbled. We saved all of the scan data before destroying the nanoprobes, of course. Maybe the people at HQ will have better luck with it.”

“Well, they’ll have more processor time and power to analyze it, at least.” Derek continued examining the spider. Its legs were grotesquely splayed, hanging over the edge of the bench. “Kersare hasn’t decided what to do with this creature yet - I’ve suggested that once we hit a dead end with our investigations we just space it and vaporize the damned thing. Please say that we’re coming to a dead end.”

Viradia nodded, “Yes, there isn’t much left that the Mali can do as far as analysis. We’ve got the data.”

“Excellent. Now, about our upcoming mission to Torva Four - have you had a chance to schedule replication for some of these supplies?”

Viradia picked up a PADD from the console and handed it to Derek. “Yes, we’ve already started on some of the more complex items like the computer core relays and the isolinear bus for their power generator. Of course, there are some things that we cannot replicate here - if we find their computer core itself is damaged, that will have to come from a production facility on a Starbase.”

Derek looked over the production schedule. Everything looked like it was well underway. “Looks good - Captain wants a briefing at thirteen-thirty hours, so I’ll be sure to pass this along.”

Derek inched closer to Viradia so that his side touched hers. He placed his hand on the small of her back. “And what about later? Think you can ditch this long enough to have dinner tonight? I’ve got some holodeck time, maybe we can try something new.”

Viradia smiled and turned to face him. “Yes, I think I might be able to. Nineteen-hundred?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Derek made a furtive glance at the door - there was no one else in the lab. He gave Viradia a quick kiss on the lips. His lip tingled on contact with hers. “I’ll see you then.” He smiled as he withdrew and left the room.

Viradia turned back to her work, continuing to scan the construct with different bands of radiation. She smiled to herself as she thought about the past few days and the upcoming evening. You know, with all the excitement around here lately, I haven’t been able to chat with Debra (NPC) about all this. Maybe I’ll call her later today. Although, I don’t think she’ll let me hear the end of it.

Now, let’s try the omicron particle band….


Derek walked down the corridor to the turbolift, and stepped in. “Deck Five-Beta - Officer’s Mess.” He thought wistfully about the past few days. They had been able to spend a little time together over the past two days since they had become “an item,” according to Chief Fields (NPC). He reached up to touch his lip, still tingling from her kiss. Hmmm...that’s odd. Come to think of it…. Derek thought back to last night. They had eaten dinner in her quarters and watched a classic Bolian film - well, it was on, anyway - they had ended up just kissing each other for the last half of the movie. He remembered that his lip had tingled for about an hour afterwards.

Last night I thought, maybe it’s the thrill of it, like being a schoolboy again...but I only just gave her a peck and it feels this way again….I know that we’re very different, but maybe we’re more different than I realized…

“Computer, access a summary of Bolian physiology.”

“Accessed.”

“Send a copy to my private terminal in my quarters.”

“Acknowledged.”

OFF

Lt. Viradia Beladd
Assistant Chief Engineer
PNPC of Tournneau

and
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Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4657Post Kersare
Thu Mar 07, 2019 11:15 pm

ON:

<<Observation Lounge, Day 1, 1320>>

The doors to the Observation Lounge swished open just ahead of Isabel and she glanced around when she entered the room. Only slightly surprised, she nodded to both Myka (PNPC) and Awen (PNPC), who were already there. Normally Isabel would have arrived a little earlier herself, but she'd been finishing lunch while reading through reports. Technically it was still early anyway.

Myka sat next to Awen, facing the door. Neither of the Bajorans liked to have their back to an entrance if it could be avoided. She smiled at Isabel and nodded as the Captain took her seat. The last several hours since Isabel's announcement had been a little hectic. She'd pulled up any information readily available about the colony and reached out to her contacts. Only one had gotten back to her so far, but she was still waiting to hear back from a couple of them. She quietly tapped her PADD to see if any new messages had come for her.

Glancing up briefly at the sound of the doors opening, Awen nodded to Isabel. The new mission wasn't a major security operation and it was unlikely they would need anything more than a standard security detail to accompany the away team. Still, Awen couldn't help but try to be extra prepared. There was always the chance something could come up. At the moment, she was looking through the colony's security procedures to familiarize herself with them.

And as Elle Quinn made her way to the Observation Lounge, she could barely suppress her lopsided grin. And with her long strides, she would still reach the meeting early, despite having left Lieutenant Doram's office only minutes ago. Though Doram may have only been Acting Chief Flight Control Officer due to short-staffing — and the many different directions a ship like the Malinche got pulled, Elle appreciated the recognition. And the kind words about bravery in the line of duty, even if all it had landed her (for now at least) was being chosen to represent Flight Control at a briefing for a routine mission. Elle even suspected that Lieutenant Doram was simply not fond of such meetings and had been glad to pawn the task off to Elle. Nonetheless, she was now about to represent her department at a senior staff meeting, whereas just weeks ago, Elle herself had been the subject of such a meeting, her transfer off of the New York eagerly arranged by a Captain she'd crossed. Either way, Elle felt the winds of change continue to shift — and lift, righting her career trajectory once again. Not quite cresting (yet), but it was change for the better. And just that like, Elle arrived at the lounge entrance. Onward and upward. Excelsior!

"Excelsior!" she said aloud, inadvertently, as the doors slid open... to a nearly full room already. Wow, was everyone always early? "Uh... Malinche!" Elle said immediately, pumping a fist awkwardly into the air. Yikes. Not quite a save. Perhaps even the opposite. Of course, the normal thing to do after embarrassing yourself would be to try to lie low thereafter. To hang your head, avert your eyes, et cetera. Instead, Elle met the gaze of any and all who had noticed her loud(ish) entrance, with a stare of her own, eyes unblinking.

At the sound of the young Flight Control Officer's arrival and exclamation, Awen looked up with a slight frown, confused. What in the name of the Prophets was the woman doing? Raising her eyebrow slightly, she met Elle's gaze with a straight face before turning back to her PADD. Humans...

Thankfully, she soon spied Korath already seated within. He too was scanning the room. Elle hurried over to the vacant seat next to the Klingon.

A few minutes before the meeting was to start, Aniela (PNPC) hurriedly walked in and took one of the empty seats at the table. She offered a smile to the others as she settled in, then slid her finger across her PADD. Her eyes moved over the data and she selected a folder to open, making sure she had the information at hand for the meeting.

Lt. Toren (PNPC) made his way into the conference room shortly after Lt. Cdr. Darvetti. He took his seat. swishing his blue lab coat behind him as he did so. The colony did not report any major injuries or illnesses, nonetheless he thought it prudent to be prepared for a larger scale medical intervention. The colonists have been under significant emotional and physical strain for an extended period of time; in his study of neuroscience, he found that the mind could manifest its problems into the body before the patient was even aware.

Derek Tournneau strode into the conference room just before the meeting started, saluting with his PADD in hand to the Captain as he took his seat. He was still preoccupied with the studies on the Borg probe that had been recovered from Outpost 12, but he forced himself to focus on the mission at hand. He pulled up the relevant information for the Torva colony and started thumbing through it.

Once everyone arrived, Isabel spoke, "Good afternoon everyone. As you know, we've been ordered to change course and go to the Federation Colony on Torva IV to assist them with some equipment issues they've been experiencing. It should be fairly straight-forward, but I thought a brief meeting would be helpful regardless. Ms. Darvetti, would you like to tell us more about the planet?"

"Of course, Captain," Aniela replied. The Acting Chief Science Officer glanced down at her PADD before addressing the room. "The planet is very Earth-like as far as geographical features go...The major biomes you could find on Earth are also on Torva IV. The colony itself is located in a large valley surrounded by low lying mountains and mostly has hills, forests, and plains nearby with a major river running through the area. The standard Torvan year is 548 days, with four months of significantly shorter daylight and a couple months of particularly turbulent storms. They've been on the planet for about two years in Federation time or a year and a few months of Torvan time. They've just come out of the storm period and have entered into the four months of shorter daylight."

Elle leaned forward in her seat. Elle wanted to ask "how short," but kept quiet, lest another unintended outburst put her on the spot again. Life on Torva IV sounded like an amalgam of the frontier stories told on Earth, by various cultures, though these colonists had the misfortune of having to deal with the worst features of each.

Tournneau elaborated, sending a few infographics to the main viewscreen in the room from his PADD. "The colonists' equipment has been pretty badly damaged by the storm period - according to their maintenance records, they've been doing a pretty good job at keeping things running, despite the conditions. However, there's only so much that they can fix and replicate on their own.

"Their power grid, computer core, and main generator have taken the brunt of the damage this storm cycle - mostly lightning strikes overloading the system, water penetration damage, things of that sort." The images onscreen changed to show a diagram of the colony's computer facility.

"Most of the colony-grade equipment is designed to put up with a lot of abuse, but there's still a lot of sensitive isolinear circuitry that can't take too much of that. Additionally, they've been having trouble with some of their more advanced medical equipment - with the main computer pretty much out of the loop, some of the diagnostic and surgical gear simply won't work.

"Additionally, besides the primary system damage, they have suffered significant water damage to some of their structures. The colonists report that everyone is housed somewhere, but there are still several displaced families and facilities that are not operating at full capacity due to cleanup and structural concerns.

"While we have some of the required supplies in inventory, we're going to have to replicate a lot of what they need. So far, it looks like we will be able to get them back on their feet, but it's going to take some time to make everything and inspect it for installation."

Toren chose to put forward his report next. "As Commander Tournneau has stated, some of the complex medical equipment relies on the main computer to operate. Once the computer is operational, our team will work with their medical personnel to resume full functionality.

"Any lives lost?" Elle suddenly found herself asking, and she cleared her throat upon realizing it. "Are any of the colonists hurt?"

"There have been no reported critical injuries, however I suspect that we will find many of the colonists suffering from the effects of long-term stress. Humans especially tend not to report such issues when faced with a more immediate crisis."

As she listened intently, Elle couldn't help but agree with the last comment. As resilient as her people were, she knew humans had earned a reputation for stubbornness. And rightfully so. Elle always tried to solve something herself, first and foremost. Hopefully, none of these colonists had hidden trauma away long enough that those among them who may have been hanging on by a thread, saw that thread break.

Korath for the moment sat and listened to the planetary information, scanning the room of officers as Aniela spoke. He was aware of some of the rumblings within command regarding the destruction of the facility they had just investigated. The fact that they were being assigned to change course to this colony led him to think that Starfleet either had larger concerns about the colony or that they were biding their time to gather additional evidence for the inevitable inquiry into the destruction of the listening post. "How many colonists are listed for the colony? " he asked finally, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind for now.

Once Aniela, Derek, and Toren had given their information, Isabel nodded. Even with the short time frame they'd had, they had managed to get a fair bit of information regarding the colony. She glanced down at her PADD before responding, "Based on reports, there are approximately 5,000 colonists currently, with more scheduled to arrive in a few months. The additional colonists were partly delayed due to the issues the colony is having."

"Going with the 'misery loves company' strategy of building colonies, huh?" Elle whispered to Korath. "Shhh," she said to herself immediately afterward, shaking her head.

"Commander Fala, Lieutenant Turren...do either of you have anything to add at this time?" Isabel looked over at the two Bajorans in the room. They had similar backgrounds, since they had both helped the Resistance, but each had contributed differently.

Awen spoke first, addressing Isabel. "At this time, I don't have any particular security concerns. A standard security detail will go with any away teams regardless, but I don't anticipate any trouble. I've also been reviewing the colony's security procedures, which seem fairly standard. There haven't been any major incidents, security-wise, other than learning to deal with the local wildlife."

For a moment, Elle smiled — but ruefully. The... dismissive mention of "local wildlife" turned Elle's thoughts to the Horta of Janus VI. Visual records of the Silicon-based sentients were relatively few, but what she had seen of the Horta had made it appear almost... silly. Of course, it had killed fifty miners and destroyed equipment that mining colony had depended upon, before the Enterprise crew intervened. She hoped that "learning to deal with the local wildlife" of Torva IV would not prove as costly, for the colonists' sake.

"I'm waiting to hear back from a few of my contacts, Captain," Myka said. "The one who already responded said there was nothing out of the ordinary to their knowledge. People talking about the planet, some exaggerations about the storm period and longer nights, and a rumor that they didn't choose the ideal colony location. None of it has been verified as accurate or dangerous."

*Exaggeration.* The Bajoran's words made Elle think again on frontier stories. On Earth's explorers' tales of tumultuous seas — filled with dragons and mermaids... that were whales, exotic fish, and manatees, in the light of day. Yet even those exaggerations held kernels of truth, of course. And Elle suspected that the rumors and hyperbole of the colonists of Torva IV would as well.

Korath had for the majority of the briefing sat silently; save for one question. His thoughts fixated on the doctors last orders after being released from sickbay. Those thoughts brought up memories of the previous away mission. The Klingon shifted ever so slightly out of discomfort at the thought. He frowned and forced his mind to focus on the meeting rather than his failings on the last mission. "I will begin assigning discrete teams once we are done here. " Korath said as he rattled off several names he believed would be well suited to the task at hand.

At first, Elle thought she had imagined it. After all, the Klingon appeared to have remained as stoic as ever... but then she was sure. Elle swore she detected a change in his tone of voice, a tiny but telltale change in pitch, and the *slightest* shift in his posture. Was Korath okay? Was their XO ailing in ways he hadn't revealed — ways that he had somehow concealed from the doctors? As Elle listened for her name, her brow furrowed. And her existing concerns about this “routine” mission — and for Korath — grew.

After listening to her staff, Isabel nodded slowly. "If you hear back from your contacts, Lieutenant Turren, I want to know. We have a little over twenty hours until we arrive. Although it should be fairly routine, I think we all know that missions don't usually go as planned, so let's be ready. If anyone finds out more regarding the planet or colony in the meantime, be sure to let myself and Commander Korath know. Away teams will coordinate with him. Dismissed."

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
Flight Control Officer

and

Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer & 2XO

and

Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer

and

Lieutenant JG Toren (PNPC of Tournneau) - Assistant Chief Medical Officer

and

Lieutenant Turren Myka (PNPC of Kersare) - Acting Chief Intelligence Officer
Lieutenant Commander Aniela Darvetti (PNPC of Kersare) - Acting Chief Science Officer
Lieutenant Commander Fala Awen (PNPC of Kersare) - Acting Chief Security/Tactical Officer

and
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Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4658Post Tournneau
Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:00 am

ON:

<<USS Malinche-A -- Observation Lounge -- Mission 25, Day 01 -- 1348 Hours>>

Throughout the mission briefing, Derek had been fidgeting in his chair. His stomach was not taking kindly to the lunch that he had eaten earlier - it was one of his “usuals”, a catfish poboy. He’d eaten it pretty frequently, and typically replicated food didn’t cause this kind of upset. It wasn’t exactly alarming, but it was definitely out of the norm.

Surely, it can’t be….

After Kersare dismissed the crew, Derek leaned over to catch Doctor Toren’s (PNPC) attention before he left.

“Hey, Doc - are you heading back to sick bay right now?”

The young Vulcan officer stood from his chair as he answered Derek. “Yes, the department is getting their team assignments as we speak, and I will be making my own preparations.

“Can I come see you in a few minutes about...something?”

“Sickbay is always open to the ailing, Commander.”

“Thank you - I’ll see you in a bit.” Derek patted him on the shoulder as he hurried out of the lounge towards the turbolift.

“Of course, sir.” The Vulcan regarded the senior officer as he left. Heightened perspiration, rapid eye movement, increased pulse, change in skin color - certainly, anxious about something. Or perhaps, some sort of somatic symptom of an underlying illness. We shall see. The doctor gathered his belongings and made his way to sick bay.

<<CEO’s Quarters -- Deck 3-Alpha Starboard>>

Derek hurried inside his quarters and sat down at his desk. The file that he had requested earlier was sitting on the top menu of his private terminal.

Bolian Physiology: An Overview

He began to read it quickly, jumping through different sections.

...copper-based hemocyanic blood, knew that already…..aquatic species….bifurcating skull ridge, isolated brain hemispheres, neat….skip, skip, skip….ah.

I know I heard about this before, and I remember seeing something about potential side effects, but maybe I missed something.

Interspecies Relationships
Due to the irritant nature of their saliva, and the corrosive aspects of their bodily fluids, intimate relations with a Bolian can result in non-Bolian species experiencing fatigue, nausea, and inflammation of the joints. Bolian saliva is an irritant to most other humanoid species.


Well, shit.

Derek continued reading.

Treatment options are available aboard most starships, starbases, and other Federation facilities to ensure physical compatibility between members of most humanoid lifeforms. While any deleterious effects of a short-term or one-time relationship can be dealt with over a few days, a long-term relationship or marriage between a Bolian and a member of a non-cuprous species is not recommended without medical consultation.

“Medical consultation it is, then,” Derek said aloud as he closed his terminal.

<<Main Sickbay -- Deck 6-Beta -- 1400 Hours>>

In preparation for the mission to Torva IV, the sickbay had become a hive of activity. Away team members were coming and going to get supplies and medical kits, and several of the nurses were being briefed as to which teams they would accompany as medic.

Derek stepped into the busy room and spotted Toren in his open office in the middle of sickbay, typing a report on his terminal. He came up to the doorless archway and knocked on the wall. Toren looked up and waved him in. Derek sat down on a stool in front of Toren’s desk.

“Yes, Commander, what can I do for you?”

“Well, Doctor, I wanted to come talk to you - I haven’t been feeling so well this afternoon.”

“Yes, I observed that earlier. What symptoms are you feeling?”

“Well, my stomach has been upset since I ate lunch today.”

The Vulcan raised a perplexed eyebrow. “Oh? Did you eat anything unusual, or do you have any food allergies?”

“No, nothing like that - just a catfish poboy - “ Derek caught a confused eye squint from the doctor. “It’s a sandwich, with a seafood base.”

“Ah, I see. Is there anything else that may have been a factor in this?”

“Well, yes, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about - you see, I...erm, well I -” Derek stopped, looking toward the open archway and the busy room behind it. “I’m sorry, I know this isn’t the best time, but is there somewhere more private that we can talk?”

“Not a problem, Commander.” Toren pressed a control on his desk. A holographic door appeared in the open archways on either side of his office, shutting out the occupants on the other side. The windows became grey and opaque. The office suddenly became completely quiet, save for the soft rumble of the Malinche’s warp core. “You were saying?”

“Nice touch! Yes, well, I was saying….erm...well, you see…”

Toren smiled politely as the Commander struggled to find his words. It was an affectation, of course, but most non-Vulcans found the gesture reassuring. If only all species embraced Logic - the universe would be so much more efficient.

Derek found his way out of his stammering. “You see, I’ve started a...relationship. With a Bolian member of the crew.”

Toren raised an eyebrow. “Ah, I understand. You are not aware, I gather, of some of the incompatibilities with cuprous and ferrous species?”

Derek looked down as he wrung his hands. Oh my God, I want to die. “No - well, yes. Well, I had heard about it before, and I knew that there were potential side effects, but I didn’t realize how severe they could be. I just did a little reading on this before I came down here, and I see now that I’m going to need your help - as well as your discretion, I hope?”

Toren nodded. He knew full well that Mr. Tournneau was referring to Ms. Beladd, but plainly he needed to spare his patient’s emotions the perceived indignity of revealing who his partner was. “Yes, of course Commander - everything you have to say is strictly between the two of us. Not even the Captain can know what you have to say to me in regards to your health, so long as the ship’s safety is not a concern.”

“Wonderful,” Derek breathed in relief. “Well, what can be done about this?”

“Do you mind if I scan you?”

“Not at all.”

Toren retrieved his tricorder from a pocket in his light blue lab coat, and began to run the medical scanner up and down Derek’s torso. “Yes, I see that you are suffering the effects of mild cupric chloride poisoning - nausea, upset stomach. Any nervous symptoms, either tingling or unexplained feelings of heat or coldness?”

“Yes, ah, my lips and tongue felt tingly, ah, earlier.”

Toren ran the scanner over Derek’s face. “Indeed. Tell me, when did your relationship begin?”

“Well, we’ve known each other since - oh, you mean - yes, ah, two days ago.”

“And have you engaged in intercourse?”

Derek sputtered. “I’m sorry, what? No, we’re not - that is to say, I’m not opposed - what I mean is, we’re not at that point yet.” I want to die, I want to die, please, let me die.

“I understand...and do you believe that this will be a long-term relationship?”

“Well, I hope so, yes.”

Toren closed down the tricorder. “Very well - I can treat your symptoms now, and I can prescribe some medications that will counteract any further negative effects in the near term. However, there are some more complex treatments that are recommended for a committed relationship.”

Derek furrowed his brow. “Such as?”

Toren turned to the display behind his desk and brought up a representation of Derek’s genome. “Some minor gene therapy for you and Miss - your partner, rather - is recommended to adapt both of your physiologies to one another.”

“She would have to go through this as well?” Derek asked worriedly. “I understand that my physiology isn’t compatible, but as far as I can tell, Bolians don’t have a problem with Humans.”

“That is true, sir - however, these treatments are most effective if they are treated from both sides of the equation. That is why they are only recommended for long-term relationships, and also why they are required in a long-term relationship.”

Derek stood and walked up to the display, examining its readout. “Isn’t gene therapy a little extreme, though?”

“The risks are minimal. The procedure is very well documented and understood much better today than it was even twenty years ago. There can be some mild discomfort in the first few weeks, but eventually the body adapts and is able to thrive once more.”

“How is the procedure done?”

“A simple injection of a custom-encoded retrovirus. The process is painless and takes only a few seconds. However, it is something that needs to be done regularly. Once a month is usually sufficient.”

Derek nodded. “And what are the risks? Will it affect lifespan, or other aspects of our health?”

“The risks are not of that nature - as I said, the encoding is very precise. There is a negligible risk that the gene alteration will not be accepted by the body.”

“I see.” Derek returned to his seat. “Well, thanks for showing me that - I don’t think I’m ready to talk to her about splicing genes yet - but it’s good to know that it’s an option.”

“Of course. Would you like the other medications now?”

“Yes, please,” replied Derek. Toren rose and walked to the medical dispensary in a wall alcove behind his desk.

“So, Toren,” Derek asked as the Doctor prepared his prescriptions, “This is probably a question that’s too far ahead, but…what about children? Is it possible between a Bolian and a Human?”

Toren paused for a moment in thought, and then continued to work on the medications. “It is possible, but it is very difficult. In your case, it is good that the female is Bolian. It is currently impossible with a human female. However, even though it is feasible, the fetus would constantly be at great risk throughout the pregnancy.” Toren turned around, holding several hyposprays and a bottle. He placed them on the desk and continued.

“There are now several documented cases of successful Bolian-Human hybrids, and I know of at least one Andorian-Human hybrid case study. The long-term prognoses for the children in question that survive gestation are very normal. Unfortunately, the survival rate is still very low - less than sixty percent if my memory serves me. The best solution is an artificial incubation, but some prospective parents have philosophical concerns about this method. Even then, it is still very risky until the fetus reaches the third trimester.”

Derek nodded soberly. “Well, even so, that is reassuring to know that it is an option. So, what is all this?”

“First, I will administer five cc’s of chelatimer and ten cc’s of vertazine once to alleviate the cupric toxicity and your nausea symptoms.” Toren removed one of the hyposprays from the desk and pressed it against Derek’s neck. Immediately, Derek’s stomach stopped gurgling and settled.

“Hmm, much better Doctor, thank you.”

“Of course. Now, since you have a medic rating, I will leave the rest to you to administer - these two must be taken once a week.” He handed Derek two hyposprays. “One is set for eight cc’s of cuprilin, which will inhibit your body’s uptake of excess copper salts and acids. The other is a two cc mixture of dylovene, vertazine, and leukocept to prevent toxin buildup, nausea, and inflammation, respectively.”

Derek picked up the small bottle. An oddity in the 24th century. “What’s in the bottle?”

“The bottle is a topical formulation of the latter prescription, for use as needed before and after intimate relations.”

“Ah.” Derek gathered the medications and set them in one of his jacket’s inside pockets. “Well, thank you Doctor for, er, walking me through everything and, erm, the prescriptions.”

“Naturally, sir. Please follow up with me in two weeks, or if you experience any further symptoms.”

Derek rose to leave. “Will do, Toren.”

Toren pressed the control on his desk again. The doors dissolved, and the windows turned clear again. The noise of the room returned, with the nurses still conducting their briefing. Derek nodded one last time towards Toren, and left sickbay.

As he walked down the corridor, he exhaled deeply in relief. “Oh, that was painful. Why is it so awkward? Why am I mentally fifteen?” Derek asked aloud. He sighed. “Thank God Toren was very professional about the whole thing.” He opened a door along the hallway and stepped into a turbolift.

“Well, I don’t know if I’m ready to go there just yet,” Derek continued to himself, “but at least I’ll be prepared.”

“Destination ‘there’ not recognized - please restate command.”

“Oh for - Main Engineering, please, thank you!”

OFF

Lieutenant J.G. Toren
Acting Chief Medical Officer
a PNPC of
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Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4659Post Quinn
Sun Mar 10, 2019 7:31 pm

ON:

<< Corridor outside Office of Ship's Counselor | Day 1 | 1854 Hours >>


As the door slid closed, Elle nodded to the doctor in parting. She affected some new gravity in her expression as she left, projecting a believable reflection of greater insight gained. At this point, it was easy.

After her father had died so suddenly, a young Saoirse Eleanor Quinn found herself being sent to therapy session after therapy session — at her mother's urging. Of course, it didn't seem to matter that the elder Eleanor had reacted to her husband's death by smothering their only child, or that "Elle" already strove daily, and desperately, to make a preoccupied, often-absent father proud while he was alive, only to redouble her efforts once he was gone. All that mattered to her mother, it seemed, was that a grieving daughter got professional help, even as Elle pushed her away, and pushed toward Starfleet Academy.

For someone with such strong social anxiety, Elle initially thought such sessions would be difficult. As it turned out, the ability to self-indulgently ramble on at her leisure allowed Elle to bend the truth in whatever ways she saw fit, in ways unavailable to Elle in her day-to-day — and all without ever actually being confessional, or fully honest. And so, it was in the theatre of therapy then, that Elle honed her stage presence, in the manner that a performer might test new material in intimate, underground venues of faraway places, knowing full well that these imperfect, experimental trial runs would be little seen, or would rarely — if ever — see the light of day. Counting on the latter, even. But that only deepened the divide between Elle's skill at adopting convincing, even charismatic airs while performing music, and her ongoing troubles engaging in normal conversation.

Elle didn't refuse the not-mandatory-but-highly-encouraged counseling sessions offered to members of the Away Team after their encounter with the Borg on Outpost Beta 12 — and that shared brush with near death. But neither did she divulge the full extent of her worry about making sure her crewmates were safe next time. She'd "lost" Kinkaid, in a matter of speaking, to his own real life concerns. She wasn't about to lose the XO who had been so willing to sacrifice his life for theirs. For hers.

The briefing on the Malinche's upcoming mission to Torva IV from earlier that afternoon had done little to quiet her concerns. In fact, it had instead given Elle more food for thought in that regard. More to worry about. More to obsess over. Elle suspected that the Doctor suspected she was withholding something, but it was without great difficulty that Elle got him talking, about the Bozeman's encounter with temporal distortion, about how his experience there got him posted on the Malinche. Et cetera. And it all provided the perfect distraction for Elle to spirit an item away from the counselor's office....


OFF:
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Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4660Post Kersare
Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:05 pm

ON:

<<Science Lab 1, Day 1, 1415>>

Following the meeting, Aniela (PNPC) had stopped in her office briefly to see if her requests for additional information from StarFleet had been answered. When she found nothing waiting for her, she'd gone immediately to the Science Lab where some of the others in her department were working. Glancing around the room, she saw Gerard (NPC), Arol (NPC), and Brandon (NPC).

"Welcome back, Commander!" Gerard smiled as he saw her. "How was the meeting? Any news? Anything we need to research further? Perhaps some insight needed that will allow us to save the day?"

Arol looked at the over-excited Betazoid and took a deep breath. "Gerard, she literally just walked in the door. Take a breath and let her fill us in before you flood her with questions." They still had several hours on their shift and Gerard had been getting on the Bajoran's nerves all day.

Aniela chuckled briefly at their reactions. "Gerard, I've already told you...When it's just us and we aren't on the bridge, just call me Aniela." She moved to one of the consoles and brought up their information on Torva IV. "The meeting was mostly just informational and what I had to share was a fair bit of it. Obviously the mission is really just to help the colonists with repairs, but it's possible that some of our scientific knowledge will be useful as well. Have we found out any more pertinent information about the planet or its wildlife?"

"Nothing geologically significant, or at least not that I've been able to find from the reports and studies conducted there," Brandon replied. He'd already read through the initial StarFleet studies when they were deciding on a location for the colony. There was some geological activity, but nothing major or concerning. "Certain areas did show increased tectonic activity, but the colony was placed in an area that avoided it. They might feel some of the effects, but only to a limited degree."

The Bajoran leaned back against one of the long tables before speaking. "Gravity is very slightly above what we would consider normal, but it shouldn't be an issue. The colonists would adjust to it over time and we won't be there long enough for any adverse effects, in my opinion, though we can run it by Medical. I do think we should use a runabout rather than transporters, though. With the storm season recently ending, there could be residual effects in the atmosphere that could cause problems."

Nodding Aniela said, "I'll pass that along." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gerard watching her eagerly. "Okay Gerard, what is it? I can see you're dying to tell us something..." Although Arol tended to get annoyed with the Betazoid, she enjoyed his enthusiasm. To his credit, despite his Betazoid abilities, he never let Arol's feelings diminish his.

Gerard's eyes practically lit up as he moved closer to the group. "Okay, so....apparently there are all kinds of rumors about odd things happening in and around the colony....especially during their long days of darkness... Also, strange creatures." He paused and looked around the group, searching for reactions.

"Oh for Prophet's sake!" Arol frowned at the Betazoid. "They haven't even been there that long. It can't be historical fact. Besides, they're more likely to be stories to scare the kids into staying close to the colony."

"Buzzkill," Brandon muttered quietly under his breath.

Not letting the Bajoran's attitude dissuade him, Gerard continued, "Any good story, fable, or myth has its roots in truth. Anyway, I hear that the soil and water and air all come alive! The colonists arriving woke something about the planet up and now there's creatures running around that weren't found during the initial studies. Big enough to swallow a building! And...apparently some things have been disappearing. Depending on who you talk to, people are being carried away and when they get back, their eyes have turned white!"

It was Aniela's turn to frown. On the one hand, she didn't want to simply dismiss what Gerard said. However....creatures made of soil and air that could swallow a building? And people disappearing then reappearing with white eyes? It sounded pretty ridiculous to her. People disappearing she could understand - they could have been exploring and gotten lost, a simple explanation. But returning with white eyes? "Is there proof of any of this? Or are they just stories?"

Gerard hesitated, "Well...not exactly. The creatures don't stick around and hand out conclusive evidence. And there are differing accounts of the disappearances."

Arol snorted, then turned back towards the console he'd been working on when Aniela first walked in. Of course he didn't have proof. To be fair, though, the Historian was good at finding actual facts when needed.

"Alright everyone, let's see if we can find out anything more about the planet that could be helpful for the away mission. If we find anything, I'll forward it on to the Captain. I'll leave out the creatures and white-eyed colonists for now unless we do find some kind of proof, though. Why don't we pull up some images?" Aniela looked from one science team member to the next, smiling and encouraging them to join in. She didn't think they'd find anything earth shattering, but she didn't want to leave the away team with nasty surprises either...

OFF:

Lieutenant Commander Aniela Darvetti (PNPC)
Acting Chief Science Officer

and

Crewman Gerard Kartil (NPC)
Historian

and

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Jaran Arol (NPC)
Physicist

and

Ensign Brandon Delasi (NPC)
Geologist

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Captain Isabel Kersare
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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4661Post Kersare
Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:55 pm

ON:
<<CIO Office, Day 1, 1430>>

Myka (PNPC) leaned back in her chair, deep in thought. Another of her contacts had gotten back to her, but hadn't had anything pertinent to add. Perhaps that was a good thing. Maybe there was simply nothing mysterious about Torva IV and it would be a simple, routine mission. Find and replace damaged equipment.

Still, she felt uneasy. With only five thousand colonists, it would be difficult for her to infiltrate and learn anything. True, she could simply show up and try to blend in, but that would be difficult. Assuming that she was even on an away team, her showing up with them would automatically mark her as part of the Malinche crew. Perhaps she could talk Korath into letting her arrive apart from the others so she could try to learn some things from the colonists...

Maybe her time would be better spent looking into what happened at Outpost Beta 12 with the borgified spider robot creatures. Borg mech-creatures? They really needed a better name, whatever they were. The Bajoran did have some information requests out regarding them as well, but she wasn't hearing much. Either the outpost incident was truly the first one or any other similar incidents were being kept extremely hush-hush.

She frowned. Myka was used to being able to find connections and information, but she was utterly failing to find them with either of her main projects. Perhaps she was asking the wrong people or the wrong questions.

Having a thought, she leaned forward and slid her finger across the console display. If StarFleet was finding evidence of the Borg, it was likely that they didn't want to cause undue panic. If they were still investigating, or if the incidents were few and far between, they might be "officially" classifying them as something else to avoid suspicion. That in mind, Myka sent the computer searching for "technical malfunctions", "faulty equipment", and any deaths in an expanded area around Outpost Beta 12, as well as a few other areas.

While the computer searched, cross-referenced, and compiled, the Bajoran composed a message to the Executive Officer:

================================
To: Commander Korath
From: Lieutenant Turren Myka
Subject: Away Mission

Commander,

I realize you are coordinating the away teams for our current mission to Torva IV's colony. I would like to request that I be on an away team, but would like to arrive separately. I would like to try to blend in with the colonists to see if I can learn anything more about the planet or colony that might be useful, which I believe will be easier as an infiltration mission of sorts.

I would appreciate it if you would consider my request and come to me with any questions.

Thank you,

Lieutenant Turren
Acting Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
==================================

She wasn't sure what he would think of the request, or if he would grant it, but if nothing else, at least she had tried. Glancing over at her console, she said, "Computer, once you have the results, please send the reports here and to my console in the Intel Lab."

"Acknowledged."

That done, she picked up her PADD and left her office. Perhaps one of the other Intel officers would have some insights as well...

OFF: Soft tag to Korath (the message I had Myka send) - Just a thought I had; not necessarily vital, but it is an idea.

Lieutenant Turren Myka (PNPC)
Acting Chief Intelligence Officer

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4662Post Kersare
Wed Mar 13, 2019 4:32 pm

ON:

<<Armory, Day 1, 1630>>

Awen (PNPC) stood at the back of the Armory with her fellow Security/Tactical crewmates in front of her. Once the last two arrived, her eyes moved over them once more before she began speaking, "Thank you all for coming. You should have all read the initial briefing I sent out an hour ago, so I won't go over those items unless clarification is needed. Sirak (NPC) will be in charge on the ship while I go with the away team."

As she spoke, the Bajoran kept her hands clasped behind her back while slowly walking around the edge of the room between the door and where she'd started. Sirak was the logical choice to keep an eye on the ship in her absence and Awen had the utmost confidence in her. "Commander Korath is finalizing away team members, but I know all of you are perfectly capable of either being part of the away team or remaining on the ship. There have been no reports of hostilities in the area, so I don't foresee any trouble for the ship itself while in orbit. Of course, that doesn't mean we stop paying attention."

The speech was familiar to her, though she didn't always give it anymore...usually she would only do it if there were special circumstances. But following the incident on the Outpost, Awen thought it might put them more at ease to have something familiar and to have some reassurance. Idly she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then she re-clasped her hands.

"On the surface, we again don't anticipate any hostilities. However, there is little information about native species or wildlife. Presumably the colonists have either stayed away from them or vice versa. Either way, we'll have our standard away team gear and weapons. All weapons should be set to stun unless instructed otherwise. I'll divide us into teams once I know who is going. One team will do a perimeter sweep upon arrival. At any time, if something seems off or there's an issue, alert me immediately. Any questions?" Awen paused and looked around the room.

When everyone remained silent, the Bajoran nodded, 'Very well. Everyone except Greyman (PNPC) and Revan (NPC) are dismissed." As the others filed out, she watched Derek and Loril make their way to her.

Derek stopped in front of Awen and waited for Loril to catch up. "Commander? What do you need?"

Once the Armory door closed, she answered him, "I wanted to check in with both of you to see how you're doing after the incident on Beta 12."

Loril nodded and shrugged slightly, " We've witnessed worse things than what happened there. Besides, this mission is routine. Even you said that we don't anticipate any hostilities."

Awen watched the other Bajoran closely for several moments before responding, "In general I agree, and both of you performed well during that away mission. You've done well in our exercises since then too. However, these things can add up and hit you when you least expect it. Just keep it in mind and come to me if that happens. Alright?"

Both of them nodded to her and she returned the nod. Loril turned to leave, but Derek hesitated a moment before joining her. Awen frowned slightly. Considering the fact that Derek had been assimilated for a few years, he was handling the situation well, but she had to wonder if it was bothering him more than he was letting on. Perhaps she would touch base with the Captain about it...

OFF:

Commander Fala Awen (PNPC)
Acting Chief Security/Tactical Officer

and

Lieutenant Derek Greyman (PNPC)
Security Officer

and

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Revan Loril (NPC)
Tactical Officer

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4663Post Quinn
Sun Apr 07, 2019 2:21 pm

ON:

<< Korath's Quarters | Day 1 | 1937 Hours >>


The sound of Klingon opera could be heard from outside the door. It was a fairly common occurrence in this particular corridor. A moment after the chime sounded the ear assaulting sound paused and the doors opened. The towering frame of the XO stood where the door once did. "Ensign, what can I do for you this evening?" he asked as he searched his memory whether he had a meeting with the Helm officer or not.

Had such sounds not been coming from behind a Klingon’s door, one might have been forgiven for thinking someone was being murdered within. Instead it was... Opera. "Sir!” Elle said, as the door slid open. She was holding both hands behind her back, suspiciously? Obviously hiding something. She laughed to herself, but the smile showed.

Elle's eyes darted up to a random space above her head and off to side, the way people sometimes when picturing or considering something. She usually kept such odd hours that she often had to remind herself it wasn't already (or still) the dead of night. Thankfully, it was still a reasonable hour. “I hope I’m not disturbing you," she said finally. "I — well, I've been gunning for your Qam-Chee simulation record, just so you know. And well, seeing as how going to the Holodeck to train is off limits — I figured I could bring the holodeck to you!" Then Elle swung her hands around and out in front of her, melodramatically opening her palms to reveal... two ovoid devices, each with a small control panel at its center, and a indicator embedded along its circumference.

"Ponean synaptic stimulators, retrieved from the Delta Quadrant, mid-2370s. I – um, *borrowed* these from Doctor Bateson. You set them just behind the ear. They tap into the visual cortex, and can be programmed to display various landscapes, but I've been tinkering around. I know I'm no engineer but they can show what you want to see too. Uh... and I figured you could use some company. Care to explore?"

"You have not disturbed me," the Klingon said, towering over the woman. "I assume you came to make sure my healing is progressing apace? Enter then." He stepped aside to allow her entrance. Perhaps this visit will be less antagonistic than the one his daughter had made earlier. She indeed had her mother's fury when she chose to wield it. "I was about to make some... tea; would you drink with me?"

As the tallest woman on the ship, at 6 feet and 3 inches, Elle was used to towering over fellow crewmen herself — often uncomfortably so. With Korath nearly a foot taller, however, she was glad to stand at full height, convinced she had been hunching subconsciously to draw less attention to herself when on the bridge or otherwise on duty. Thus contradictorily at ease while standing at her straightest possible posture, Elle began to stride confidently into the room without saying another word — when she caught herself, "I mean, thank you, sir, I'd like some tea, yes."


<< 1949 Hours >>

"You know, not only did swaths of humans once believe — or purport to believe, at least," Elle continued, rambling as the tea was being brewed rather than replicated, "that they were able to predict the future based on tea leaf tasseography, but the word 'tea' was once also human slang for a long-since-legalized herbal drug, back in the late twentieth century. Then it became a subculture term for 'gossip', sometime in the early twenty-first. As in, you were gossiping over a cup of tea." Elle realized she'd begun rambling mid-sentence, two sentences ago, but it was too late. It was too late too, for Elle to reign in revealing her concerns about Korath's health, "And what with the harsh conditions coming up on Torva IV, you *are* okay, right, sir? I mean, recovery is going fine? Nothing crazy since you got out of Sickbay?"

“Crazy!?” The Klingon asked not sure what the woman was implying. “The doctor insists I take things… ‘Easy' or he threatened to keep me in that gods forsaken sickbay. Suffice it to say I am fine.” It wasn't entirely the truth. Nearly dying and being denied a Glorious death tended to have certain effects on the Klingon mind.

Elle’s eyes widened, looking for any crack in the armor. Any hint of that something she saw surface for just a moment, at the briefing. Any sign that Korath himself harbored hidden concerns about his health… or about the mission. Or about why Ba’el seemed so upset of late — though Elle thought she could guess with some certainty about the latter.

“Oh? Is that was this is for?” Elle asked, pointing to the disc-shaped biometric sensor, then smiled, “Playing the game on ‘Easy’ is almost as bad as cheating, isn’t it? Hardest difficulty or bust, I always say,” she said, having never uttered the latter phrase until now.

Turning around, she inspected his quarters like a detective... perhaps being nosier than was polite. Toward that end: “Ba’el just seemed so worked up is all, though she looked more worried than angry,” Elle said, before immediately regretting it. “I didn’t think Klingons drank tea,” she said suddenly — and too loudly, trying to change the subject.

“That depends on the tea. Klingon tea is not for the faint of heart. It can be… overly stimulating to non-Klingons.” He replied. The strong aroma of the drink wafting through the quarters. Hints of mint and a few spices not known to Humans filled the space between them.

Elle exhaled sharply. She was glad the comment about Ba’el had gone unnoticed. Or rather, if not unnoticed, at least unremarked upon. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the tea. Herbal notes, but with other, strange odors she guessed might indicate a flavor she wouldn’t find particularly good. Still... something different — and with a little bite, was welcome.

“Lucky for me, I’m not faint of heart,” Elle said.

“Strongest you’ve got!”
She added assertively, but with a crooked smile as she reached for a cup. “Thank you.” Then Elle paused, before asking, “What did you think? About today, about the briefing, I mean.” She suspected something was amiss, but couldn’t quite put her finger on what…. Then putting her arms akimbo, she said only half-jokingly, “Anything need-to-know-only basis that this ship’s best Ensign needs to know?”

“I thought that colonists do not simply go missing for little reason. However, my thoughts were elsewhere for a large part of the briefing.”
The Klingon sat and took a sip of his tea.

Elle nodded as she took a sip of the tea as well… and winced. Ouch. And the aftertaste that followed packed even more of a punch. Sharp and bracing. It even made her a little light-headed… then clear-headed. Clearer anyway. Hmm. She cleared her throat, “Anything in particular on your mind?”

“Nothing of consequence. Just the mission to the listening post. Then waking up in sickbay.”
Korath replied. “Not the end I would have expected.”

“And I didn’t mean anything by ‘crazy’ before. Maybe more so ‘stir-crazy’, but I don’t know. I never minded that either, to be honest. Isolation, I mean. Not from information, or the world, or society, of course, but from… having to be… ‘on’ all the time, you know?”
Elle’s eyes darted around for an appropriate place to sit, but she remained standing. “You ever wonder what it was like… you know, before First Contact? From what I’ve read, it was a lot different of course, but also so much the same.” She tapped her forehead before turning the gesture into a kind of a salute, “Humans, Klingons… *people* — we’re all always only in our own heads anyway, no?”

Korath gazed at her for several seconds trying to extrapolate her question. “Are you referring to Vulcan and Human first contact or Earth’s first contact with the Empire?” He asked. “Neither of which went smoothly in any case.”

“Hmm, that’s true, sir,”
Elle said, her expression soured at her inability to express herself clearly, even as she found herself more and more comfortable. Their respective peoples first contact was riddled with strife. “I guess that’s what I mean though — though that’s the other side of the coin. The con. And not like confidence game, but as in pros and cons. That’s the unfortunate downside. Even when faced with circumstances that were totally new, we still saw what was inside our heads first, if that makes sense. We saw what we knew — or saw what we wanted to, first and foremost.”

“And uh, speaking of which,”
Elle then held her hand out and offered Korath one of the synaptic stimulators. “What do you think? Pre-programmed vistas, or... ‘other’ ?”

He took the device and examined it. “I believe I have had enough of simply seeing ‘vistas' " he replied, trying to forget the image of sickbay. “Anything would be more preferable.”

Elle imagined her parents both nested away in their respective ivory towers, instead of experiencing life firsthand, on the frontier, like the colonists were doing. Like she was....

“Anything would be preferable,” she repeated under her breath.


OFF:

Part I of a Joint Post by

Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and
Last edited by Quinn on Sun Apr 07, 2019 2:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4664Post Quinn
Sun Apr 07, 2019 2:23 pm

ON:

<< Korath's Quarters | Day 1 | 2020 Hours >>


“Well, it might not quite work as well as the holodeck, Elle said, arms akimbo, "but… what say we try to… see the same thing. Same place? See where it goes? If not here, where would you like to be?”

Korath thought about it for a moment before keying in a program. He set his down then did the same to the other. Once activated, the dark visage of his quarters was replaced by a stunning view of Niagara falls in Canada.

“I see,” Elle said instead. Elle had seen the American Falls once, in person, during a family vacation from when she was a child. But from across the regional — and now almost “provincial” demarcations of old. She had not stood at the precipice, however, as they both did now.

“I… I must admit, I’m surprised at the selection — or rather, I was. At first. But it makes sense, if that makes sense. Even though these Falls are on Earth, this choice feels very… Klingon… sir.”

And the arc of the Horseshoe Falls really was remarkable. Breathtaking even. Something about the simultaneous change and constancy in the flow spoke to Elle. Outwardly opposing forces or ideas, reconciled in nature. Their expression, at once violent and serene. This notion was something she wanted to convey to Korath.

Instead she said nothing. A person who had picked such a place would surely already know. It was at once the violence of battle… and the calm. She could liken it only to a long run… or perhaps to playing music, or even a good book. You got lost in it, carried away by the work, despite or perhaps because of the effort and strength put in. But maybe she was tired of being only in her own head. Maybe it was presumptuous to think her take was the shared one. Maybe she was wrong. And maybe she was right. Perhaps it was something different altogether. So she asked anyway.

“I… uh, have trouble putting things into words sometimes — as you guys are probably all well aware by now, but the words are clear in my head. I bet they are in yours. So… why here?”

Korath stood in the middle of a downpour. He could remember the people scurrying out of the rain, in a vain attempt to seek shelter from the onslaught of rain. The expression on his face was a mixture of amusement and longing. It wasn't until he processed the question that he finally spoke.

“This was where I met my wife,” he said. “I had been assigned as an escort to the Klingon ambassador at the time. It was during my Academy days. The brass felt that a Klingon face would be welcomed by the ambassador. She was the daughter of a Federation ambassador to some remote region.”

Elle was mildly shocked that Korath had begun to open up. Seeing this particular seam open in the XO’s armor wasn’t quite what Elle expected. But it was a welcome sight. She was touched... and tried not to ruin it.

“I was barely of age. Smug and confident in my status as a warrior. I had prevented a protestor from addressing the ambassador and had moved to do the same to what I thought was a co-conspirator, but it was not the case. Jessica had not only been skilled enough to evade my grasp, but also managed to turn the tables and toss me to the ground. I was annoyed to say the least. And more than a little embarrassed to be bested by a female… A HUMAN, FEMALE.” His voice trailed off as he found himself lost in the moment in his mind.

And at this, Elle smiled. “Better get used to it,” she said, faux-flexing her own muscles. Then, she recalled reading that Korath had lost his wife, and Elle let the joke dissipate, like the mists constantly collecting then evaporating into the air.

After a long moment, she said, “I can see where Ba’el gets it from then — both sides of the family. Jessica really must’ve been something…” Selfishly, Elle found herself thinking again about the father she’d lost... and in a manner of speaking, the family too — or rather, the lack thereof. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said finally.

The Klingon slowly removed the device, mulling over the words spoken. “She was magnificent! But it is of little consequence now.” The words lingered, betraying an air of regret. It was a flicker of emotion he rarely allowed be seen. “Ba'el is more like her mother than she knows. It does not help correct the tension between us. Perhaps she might need a sisterly figure; a friend perhaps. She hasn't exactly gone out of her way to forge friendships thus far since coming aboard.”

Elle slipped the synaptic stimulator off from behind her ear. As the rushing waters faded from view, giving way to a small, sole rising ringlet of steam from her unfinished tea, Elle thought on how the Away Team had pulled together. Maybe it was the adrenalin, maybe it was wishful thinking — especially after Elle’s time on the New York, but it seemed to her that they all did so, not only out of duty, but because something else was forged.

Forged so that they could all, in turn, forge ahead. “Perhaps,” she nodded in answer. “Perhaps so.”


OFF:

Part II of a Joint Post by

Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4665Post Korath
Thu May 09, 2019 6:31 pm

<<USS Malinche | XO's Quarters | 2150hrs | Day 1>>

As soon as Quinn had left his quarters, Korath activated his LCARS terminal and skimmed through his messages. Most were routine and did not require his immediate attention; however one caught his attention. Once he had opened it and read its contents, the Klingon sat back and considered what he wanted to do with the away teams. LT. Turren's (PNPC) request was one he had not considered.

He tapped his comm. “Korath to Lieutenant Turren, I have some time to discuss your proposal if you are free.”

<Myka’s quarters>

Sitting at her desk, the Bajoran raised an eyebrow as she heard the Executive Officer’s voice on her comm badge. “Turren here. On my way, sir.”

Truthfully, she was a little surprised that he’d contacted her. She’d sent her message hours ago when she thought he’d be working and hadn’t heard anything. Besides, not everyone knew quite what to make of her or of Intel staff in general. Her eyes moved quickly across her screen before she picked up her PADD and stood.

<Korath’s Quarters>

From outside the Executive Officer’s quarters, Myka pressed the door chime and waited, tapping the PADD against her thigh slowly.

Korath set down the mug of Raktajino. "Enter!

Myka stepped forward once he answered the chime and walked into the Klingon’s quarters. She glanced around quickly, getting a feel for the space and nodded to him. “Good evening, sir. You said you wanted to discuss my proposal?”

"Yes Lieutenant, have a seat. Can I get you anything?" He asked in an attempt to put her at ease.

"No thank you, sir," she replied as she took a seat, placing her PADD on the armrest of the chair. Her finger slid across the screen and she brought up her notes for reference.

"Your proposal was an intriguing one. Why do you feel a separate, covert investigation is warranted in this situation?" He asked gauging her demeanor as he asked the question.

When Korath posed his question, Myka's dark eyes moved to him. "I realize that at this point we don't have any solid information that anything is amiss at the colony, other than the equipment issues. Originally, when I sent the request, I simply thought it would be a good idea to have someone who could listen and interact with the colonists without drawing suspicion. There are only 5,000 colonists and they've been through a lot together considering the different conditions on the planet and the issues they've faced, which would draw them closer. We could struggle to get them to open up to us since we'd be considered outsiders, despite also being part of the Federation."

The Klingon listened as the Bajoran spoke, not giving away any clues as to his thoughts. Truth be told, he didn't much like intelligence. He understood the need for such individuals; however he did not like the idea of skulking around in the shadows wrapped up in lies.

"In the last hour, one of my contacts got back to me. I was in the midst of writing a report about it to you and Captain Kersare when you requested this meeting. Apparently, on a supply run to the colony a few months ago, the colonists seemed to be on edge - anxious, nervous, somewhat paranoid. Something felt off, but the supply crew didn't have the experience or authority to investigate any further. It was later written off as normal colony adjustment," Myka explained. "I may be wrong, sir, and I hope I am...but if something is going on down there, having me in place could be beneficial. If nothing's going on, no harm done."

"None of the colonists were able to elaborate further on this ...'FEELING'? It does pose some curious questions, but it is fairly inconclusive." He paused for a moment and thought. "If i did authorize this, how would you gain the colonists trust if their community is so tight knit as you would describe it? Wouldn't you be seen as an outsider as much as I or any away team member?"

Myka didn't get the impression that the Executive Officer was particularly keen on her idea, but it was her area of expertise and she still felt that it was important. "The colonists weren't discussing their actual thoughts with the supply crew, sir. It's my understanding that the behavior of the colonists is what inspired the supply crew to mention it in the first place - eyes darting around looking for...something, hushed conversations that would end abruptly if a crew member got close, worried expressions - things of that nature."

Again Korath listened and gauged her responses. His head giving ever the slightest nod.

"As far as gaining their trust, that's part of my job, Commander. I would go in dressed as a colonist rather than wearing my StarFleet uniform. I could be dropped off or transported down by the away team shuttle on the outskirts of their dwellings. I've been going over the colonist information to find a likely name and background. At first, I'll simply observe and blend in...if needed, I'll start carefully asking questions or joining conversations if it does seem that there's more to investigate," she explained.

It took several moments before the Klingon replied; even then it was measured. "Very well Lieutenant. You've convinced me that your contact's information, however questionable; is worth investigating. You have clearance to conduct your investigation. I'll have the transporter set you down far enough away from the colony so you do not draw any attention."

The Bajoran nodded, "Thank you, sir. I'll make preparations and be ready to go before we arrive. I'll also send the information I received from my contact to you and the Captain. Is there anything else you need from me or that I should be aware of?" Although her mind was already starting to consider what she would need to do to prepare, Myka want to be sure to take care of any loose ends with Korath now before she delved into it.

Korath thought about the question for a few moments before shaking his head as he rose to his feet. "Nothing else Lieutenant, however restrict any side arm you take to a type one or common civilian models. We do not want to tip off the colonists who happen to get a lucky glimpse."

"Of course," she replied. Truthfully, Myka wouldn't have wanted to carry a weapon any larger than a type one anyway. Most likely she would bring a knife and potentially the small phaser he'd suggested. She'd been trained to deal with infiltration situations where she couldn't bring any weapons at all, so it wouldn't be anything new for her.

"Thank you for meeting with me so promptly. I'll see you prior to mission start tomorrow."

The Bajoran stood and nodded to the Executive Officer. "Certainly, sir. I appreciate you hearing me out and giving me the opportunity. I'll see you then; goodnight Commander." She turned and left, heading out the doors at a brisk pace. Now her work would begin...



OFF: JP brought to you by:

Lieutenant Turren Myka (PNPC)
Acting Chief Intelligence Officer
played by: Captain Kersare

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4667Post Kersare
Fri May 17, 2019 5:50 pm

ON:

<<Isabel & Derek's (PNPC) quarters, Day 1, 2300>>

It had been a long afternoon and evening of preparations for their mission following the briefing; Isabel was glad to be back in the quarters she shared with her husband. Mostly she'd just been approving requests and reading through updates, but the short time frame made everything feel much more rushed. Myka (PNPC) had passed on additional information her sources had found and Aniela (PNPC) also sent her a report about potential concerns regarding the planet and colony. For now they were mostly just rumors, but some of it seemed credible.

The idea of elemental creatures seemed far fetched, but they couldn't rule it out. The colonists' behavior was more troubling. If they were uneasy and paranoid, there was probably a reason. Isabel had a gut feeling that there was more to all of it than the official mission parameters. They would find out soon enough though and she was confident her crew could handle it, whatever it was.

She smiled at Derek as he walked into the room. "Everything set for tomorrow?"

"As much as it can be with the information we have now, yes," he said as he took a seat on the couch and stretched.

Isabel nodded, "That's usually the best we can hope for." She watched him quietly for a few moments, trying to decide if he seemed alright or not. Earlier in the evening, Awen (PNPC) had approached her about Derek - wanting to know how he was doing after the outpost incident. Isabel had been doing her best to be supportive and ready to listen, but he hadn't said much. Having the Security Chief come to her made her wonder.

Derek's eyes narrowed at her questioningly, "What is it, Isa?"

She shook her head and smirked, not particularly surprised he'd picked up that something was going on. "I was just wondering how you're doing. You've not really said anything to me about what happened with the away team."

"Is this just coming from you, or did Fala say something?"

"Awen did speak to me, but honestly I was wondering about it even before she had. I know you don't typically let it show, but being assimilated isn't something that simply vanishes...and the away mission must have triggered some feelings or memories about it. I wouldn't be doing my duty as captain or as your wife if I didn't ask," Isabel explained, watching him.

Nodding, he took a moment before answering, "Of course it reminded me of what happened. It was a high stress situation...we didn't know if we would run into Borg or not. In the end, it was just those...assimilated mechanical spider creatures that we actually saw. Even if I hadn't been assimilated it would have at least been creepy and disturbing. I'm handling it, though. Okay? I'm fine."

Accepting his response, Isabel said, "Alright. But if you need to talk, I'm here. Or you can always visit the counseling department. You haven't really been going their regularly since Nora left the ship, if memory serves. But let's get some sleep. We should get there by 1000 tomorrow." She waited for him to stand and join her, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close before heading into the bedroom.

OFF:

Lieutenant Derek Greyman (PNPC)
Security Officer
played by: Captain Kersare

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Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 25 - Lady of the Valley

Post: # 4668Post Kersare
Sat Jun 01, 2019 1:15 am

ON:

<<Ready Room, Day 2, 1015>>

Isabel's gaze remained on the console before her as she read through the latest reports. Most of them were routine at this point, though there had been a few updates from Engineering about what supplies were ready, a little more information from Myka's (PNPC) sources as well as her undercover plan, some information about current conditions on and around the planet from Science, and a few last minute updates about the away team.

As far as she could tell, everything was set for their arrival. What exactly they would find when they arrived remained to be seen. There was always a chance, however slim, that it would be as simple as it sounded. Isabel wasn't counting on that being the case. Truthfully, she couldn't think of a single mission where everything went exactly as planned.

The sound of her door chime brought Isabel's thoughts back to the present. "Enter."

"Excuse me, Captain, but we've arrived," Britney (PNPC) announced after walking in.

Isabel nodded and stood, sliding her fingertips across the console. She took the top PADD off the stack, then headed out the door after Britney.

<Bridge>

When she stepped onto the bridge, the bridge officers glanced over and nodded to her. Isabel returned the nod with a slight smile as she made her way to the Captain's chair. She pressed a button on the arm of her chair to open a ship-wide comm channel, "Malinche Crew, this is Captain Kersare. We've reached Torva IV. I'll be hailing the colony and once I've spoken with them, we'll carry out our mission. Everyone with mission specific duties, please finish your preparations and be ready. Kersare out."

Aniela (PNPC) turned to face Isabel, "Captain, I've done an initial scan of the area and, more specifically, the colony. At this point, everything seems to be as expected. As we suspected, there are some residual atmospheric conditions present, so a runabout is advised. I'm picking up 4,742 humanoid lifeforms...nothing else out of the ordinary at this time."

"Thank you, Commander." Turning to Ops, Isabel said, "Ms. Sorenski (NPC), hail the colony, then open a channel."

"Aye, Captain....Hailing now."

A moment later, a man appeared on the main viewscreen. He was in what appeared to be his office, with some plants, a desk, a bookshelf, and some chairs. The governor's pale blue eyes stood out against his dark, wavy hair. A warm smile spread across his face as he greeted them, "Welcome, Captain Kersare and the Malinche, to Torva IV."

"Thank you, Governor Savin (NPC)," Isabel replied, returning the smile. "We've been getting supplies gathered or replicated and have an away team ready to come down - they'll be bringing a runabout. Is there anything they need to know or anything else you need that we weren't already made aware of?"

The El-Aurian paused to consider her question, then slowly shook his head. "I don't believe so, Captain. I'll send a security team to show your away team where things are at. I do have some meetings to attend this afternoon, but I'd be delighted to meet up with you later, perhaps?"

Isabel nodded, "We should be able to arrange something, yes. It sounds like you're on an interesting and lovely planet there; it would be nice to see it."

Brenal's grin widened, "Wonderful! I'm sure we could arrange a tour. For now, we're eager to have your assistance. Anything your people need, all they need to do is ask. Thank you, Captain. Until later then."

When the channel closed, Isabel took her seat. Tapping her comm badge, she said, "Kersare to away team, you're cleared to go to the colony. The governor will be sending a security team to meet you and show you where things are. Good luck. Kersare out."

OFF: Tag away team! (Also, feel free to do a brief circle/scout around the colony before landing if you want)

Governor Brenal Savin (NPC)
Torva IV Colonial Governor - played by: Capt Kersare

Lieutenant Commander Aniela Darvetti (PNPC)
Acting CSciO - played by Capt Kersare

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Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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