ST:TTV702 | "Collaborative Efforts"

Stardate 98286.3

Rianni must remember how to conduct herself in the company of Starfleet officers she is less familiar with when she joins Mischa & T'Lana on an ambitious infiltration of the sphere. The wounded Valley Forge limps back to the aptly named Lupan world 'Sanctuary' to regroup. T'Quila finds herself in the rare position of joining an away mission...

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T'Lana@anncaris | The infiltration team beams into a maintenance walkway on the Horde light cruiser with no thralls nearby... T'Lana@anncaris checks her tricorder before announcing, "All clear." Mischa@crystyl:"Let's see if we can get into their internal systems. Would be good to know once we're inside the sphere" T'Lana@anncaris nods, walking further down the walkway before locating a terminal and tapping on it T'Lana@anncaris:"I cannot access much from here, but I can obtain an overall status of the ship. They have external sensor and transporter capabilities still, so beaming off should not be a problem." Mischa@crystyl:"That certainly makes this easier for once" T'Lana@anncaris:"However, if we use the transporters, the Horde will likely become aware of it- if not the presence of intruders, then at least an unauthorized transport off the ship they may then investigate." T'Lana@anncaris taps the terminal some more, "Their antimatter containment is stable, but only barely. I suggest we sabotage it." Mischa@crystyl:"Timing will be everything if we are to mask our presence by blowing the ship. Think you can get it that tight?" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "There is a transporter room one deck above Main Engineering. Once the containment goes down, we should have several minutes before the breach, enough to reach the transporter. We may have - T'Lana@anncaris:- to split up and have two people standing ready to take control of the transporter and sabotage Engineering. As soon as the ship enters the Sphere, we put our plan into effect and transport to the - T'Lana@anncaris:- surface. The ship should be destroyed before the thralls have time to notice the transportation, and with the damage this ship has taken, it will look like a natural failure to the Horde." Mischa@crystyl:"Sounds good to me" T'Lana@anncaris:"Mia can come with me to Engineering. She has significant mechanical expertise." Mischa@crystyl | Mia nods: "We should be able to help glean concise information from their computer" Mischa@crystyl looks to Rianni: "Then you're with me on the transporters" Mischa@crystyl | Rianni gives a firm nod T'Lana@anncaris:"This way. We will split up when we are near to our destination." Mischa@crystyl & Co. follow T'Lana@anncaris | The team sneak their way through the Horde ship's maintenance areas, soon reaching the point to split up. T'Lana takes a ladder down with Mia... Mischa@crystyl & Rianni head up to the transporter T'Lana@anncaris and Mia arrive at a walkway above the warp core. Below them, a number of thralls are working, some on the consoles, others patching the damage done. There is no noise save the sound of their - T'Lana@anncaris:- work, and it very much feels like the centre of an insect hive T'Lana@anncaris keeps a low profile as she makes her way towards a console Mischa@crystyl | Mia hovers along beside her, maintaining continuous scans for movement T'Lana@anncaris | There is movement all below them, but the walkways seem clear! T'Lana@anncaris meanwhile taps into the console, monitoring external sensors. As they wait for the ship to enter the Sphere, Mia does indeed detect movement on their level now... Mischa@crystyl | Mia's voice emanates quietly from the drone, "Ms. T'Lana, we have company" T'Lana@anncaris nods and quickly taps the console, closing the sensor readings before taking cover Mischa@crystyl | Mia hovers up, disappearing into the bulkheads overhead T'Lana@anncaris | A few moments later, a slender Engineer thrall walks into the room, moving over to the console and tapping a few times before leaving again Mischa@crystyl | Mia monitors and hovers back down to signal TL once the coast is clear T'Lana@anncaris emerges from cover, moving back to the console and whispering, "Thank you, Mia." Mischa@crystyl | Mia chirps: "It is our pleasure to be of assistance Ms. T'Lana!" T'Lana@anncaris monitors the console for a few more minutes, and once the ship begins to enter the Sphere, she announces, "It is time. I will bring down the containment field from here. If you can damage the - T'Lana@anncaris:- magnetic constrictors, it should prevent them from restoring containment in time to prevent a breach." Mischa@crystyl | Mia chirps an acknowledgement and moves into position T'Lana@anncaris taps her combadge to give the signal to Mischa before beginning to bring down the field Mischa@crystyl acknowledges as standing by T'Lana@anncaris | The thralls below begin to scramble as the containment starts dropping... T'Lana@anncaris looks over to Mia, "Time to make our way over to the transporter." Mischa@crystyl | Mia beeps an affirmative and starts hovering back the way they came T'Lana@anncaris | Barely a minute later, T'Lana and Mia emerges from the maintenance area behind the transporter room Mischa@crystyl looks over from behind the console, "Is everything in motion?" T'Lana@anncaris nods, "It is, Commander. Have you located a suitable spot on the Sphere to transport to?" Mischa@crystyl:"Technically..." she answers with reluctance. "We are only within range of the surface, so that will have to suffice as a starting point" T'Lana@anncaris:"Let us transport down quickly before the ship is destroyed, then." Mischa@crystyl nods, initiating the autotransport sequence before promptly joining the others on the pad T'Lana@anncaris | As they all step on the pad, the transporters energize... T'Lana@anncaris FX | https://youtu.be/cjaejG-LDAQ --- Human NPC@annpc#557 | On the VF bridge, TQ still hasn't received a reply from the Coalition, despite more than enough time having passed for their warning to have reached the Coalition and for the Coalition to have - Human NPC@annpc#557 - sent some form of reply... Keelah@crystyl | TQ: "Captain, I don't like this. The Coalition should have responded by now, shouldn't they?" Keelah@crystyl nods, "I would have expected them to be straight onto us" Keelah@crystyl:"Are we certain the subspace relay didn't take damage from the fight?" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Thorkildsen shakes his head, "Our comm systems are completely fine. At least nothing's wrong with the readings. I'll send a technician to confirm." Keelah@crystyl:"Best leave nothing to chance" she nods. "For all we know, the system monitors could be at fault. We'll need to run a level 5 diagnostic across the board once we are able" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Thorkildsen nods, "True. I'll have someone look into the subspace relay first." Human NPC@annpc#557 | Fisher: "ETA fifteen minutes to our destination, Captain." Keelah@crystyl:"Tee, as a matter of course; relay our previous message to the QanwI' and ask them to resend" Keelah@crystyl | TQ nods: "Will do" Human NPC@annpc#557 FX | Fifteen minutes later, the VF drops out of warp in the system. The planet indicated appears barren on sensors, just like when Latenter saw it Keelah@crystyl | Lennie: "Well, that's uhh... not exactly wha' I imagined" Keelah@crystyl looks to the viewscreen with a perked brow, "Hail the Lupan" Keelah@crystyl | TQ does so Human NPC@annpc#557 | The hail is picked up, and an old Lupan female with grey fur appears on the viewscreen, "I am Elder Canez. Guard-Captain Arvalan notified us that you would be coming. Welcome to the Sanctuary." Keelah@crystyl:"So we are in the right place, good to know. And thank you for your hospitality in this time of need" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Yes, the Sanctuary is hidden with a damping field. We are transmitting the necessary data so you can link your transporters with ours here on the surface to allow for easy travel." Keelah@crystyl:"Thank you again. Are there any specifics we need to be aware of before commencing our repairs?" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "We do not possess shipyards capable of extensive orbital work on a vessel of your size. Our shipbuilding facilities are on the surface as well, and we only produce small scout - Human NPC@annpc#557 - vessels like the one Arvalan brought to aid you. The smaller ship with you may land for more extensive repairs, and we will be able to transport any materials you need with our transporters, - Human NPC@annpc#557:- but your larger vessel will have to manage with the repair capabilities you have on board." Keelah@crystyl smiles, "That will be more than adequate, thank you" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "You may visit the surface if you like as well. We have preserved many things here, a few of which may be of interest to your Coalition." Keelah@crystyl:"I will surely do so. We still have much to discuss after all. However my immediate attention is required here presently, as we have been unable to establish contact with the Coalition" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "I will leave you to your repairs, then. Contact us if there is anything you require." Keelah@crystyl:"Of course, and I look forward to spending more time getting to know things here once the proverbial dust has settled" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "As do I. There is much we wish to learn of your Coalition which we have not yet had the opportunity to, as your friends on the other vessel departed with haste to warn you." Keelah@crystyl:"Then I shall prioritize our time accordingly" she smiles Human NPC@annpc#557 | Canez nods, "We look forward to seeing you on the surface when you are able." Keelah@crystyl waits for the comm to end and looks to Vrolmacht, "Unfortunately we have bigger things to deal with than cultural exploration. We must get to the bottom of this comms blackout" Human NPC@annpc#557 | Vrolmacht nods, "Indeed. It is...troubling." --- T'Lana@anncaris:FX | The team transports down to a lush natural environment, with a small river running down not far from their position. A few seconds after they materialize, there is a flash in the sky above - T'Lana@anncaris:- as the Horde ship they were on moments earlier explodes Mischa@crystyl:looks up with a smile, "There goes our ride" Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni looks around, "We seem to have picked a very... un-Dyson Sphere'y area to start in" T'Lana@anncaris:"This should mean that the Horde are unaware of our presence and will not be sending any search parties after us.” Mischa@crystyl:chuckles, "Is that a technical term for it, Ensign?" Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni flushes, not sure what to make of Mischa yet Mischa@crystyl:nods to TL, "Exactly Lana. We are far less likely to draw attention here. Give us a chance to get our bearings" T'Lana@anncaris:takes out her tricorder, scanning around, "Natural environments have been attested to in every known Iconian Sphere. However, knowing the purpose of this Sphere, it is...unusual." Mischa@crystyl:| Mia appears, looking up at the artificial skyscape of seemingly endless urban construction around the inner sphere, "That is a lot of bearings to get..." Mischa@crystyl:"Purpose aside, a facility this size must have demanded a massive population at the time. Having recreational facilities here is no different to a holodeck on a starship I think" Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni: "Or maybe it started life as a normal sphere and got repurposed or something" Mischa@crystyl:"It is certainly feasible from what little we know of them. But let us not digress, we have a job to do" T'Lana@anncaris:taps her tricorder and looks to Mia, "I have captured some external sensor data from the Horde ship before we enacted our plan and made for the transporter. Do you believe you will be able to - T'Lana@anncaris:- compile a map of the area for us to navigate with?" Mischa@crystyl:| Mia: "We shall attempt to do so" T'Lana@anncaris:passes her tricorder to Mia Mischa@crystyl:| Mia takes a moment to process the data before projecting a holomap of the region in between the group, "There we go!" Mischa@crystyl:turns and watches with a smile, "You are useful. I can see why Keelah values your skills so highly" Mischa@crystyl:| Mia beams, "We like to help where we can!" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "Indeed. Thank you, Mia." Mischa@crystyl:studies the map, "Now let's see what we have here..." T'Lana@anncaris:points to a spot on the holomap, "From our surroundings and my tricorder's readings, I believe we are near the source of this river, somewhere in this area." Mischa@crystyl:"Thinking a good 'natural' resource to set ourselves up a FOB?" T'Lana@anncaris:| The map shows a large, city-like area of high-tech towers and structures, but on the other side of a mountain range T'Lana@anncaris:"We may wish to reach the towers here, but we will either have to circle all the way around the mountains, or attempt to cross over them. Either will be difficult, and it may be prudent to set up a - T'Lana@anncaris:- camp on this side first. These structures however give us the best chance of beginning our work here, or at least finding means to reach other parts of the Sphere." Mischa@crystyl:nods, "Sounds good to me. We should get moving then" Mischa@crystyl:| Mia grins, "Whoever would have imagined that infiltrating a Horde occupied sphere could truly be called a walk in the park!" as they move along the river bank T'Lana@anncaris:"Indeed. Perhaps it was not once so natural, but the years have caused the local flora and fauna to spread." T'Lana@anncaris:looks to Mischa, "Do you wish to attempt to cross over the mountains, or follow the longer but likely safer path along the river to circle around them?" Mischa@crystyl:"We should do everything we can to expedite progress. Let's go mountains unless we find cause to think otherwise before then" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "Let us cross at the first suitable crossing point we find and make our way into the mountains." T'Lana@anncaris:| After several minutes of walking, they do indeed come across a point where the river splits into two with an island rising out of the middle. Though they do still have to step through some water, - T'Lana@anncaris:- the river is much shallower here, enough to walk across without having to swim Mischa@crystyl:"Seems like as good a spot as any" T'Lana@anncaris:takes a scan of the water, "This water does have bacterial lifeforms within, but a simple application of heat should make it safe to drink, should we require water." Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni approaches the water's edge and kneels, "I'll refill the spare containers while we are here then" T'Lana@anncaris:"A good idea. Additional supplies may be useful in a journey across this landscape." Mischa@crystyl:gives Rianni time to stock up before leading the way across T'Lana@anncaris:follows across, wading through the shallow water to the island. She looks at her tricorder as they arrive, "Interesting. There is Iconian technology directly beneath us. I believe they are - T'Lana@anncaris:- monitoring equipment." Mischa@crystyl:"Monitoring the water?" T'Lana@anncaris:"I cannot say what it is monitoring without tapping into its readings, and my tricorder does not detect any interfaces here. However, it would stand to reason that they are monitoring the water and - T'Lana@anncaris:- perhaps the environment in general. To maintain such an elaborate artificial ecosystem, they must first be aware of what is occurring within it." Mischa@crystyl:"Stands to reason" T'Lana@anncaris:"Let us proceed towards the mountains." T'Lana@anncaris:| They cross the rest of the river and begin ascending up towards the mountains when the sky begins to darken. Looking up, they see a massive facility appears be moving between the sun and the - T'Lana@anncaris:- part of the Sphere they are on Mischa@crystyl:"Is that the control station?" T'Lana@anncaris:"No, the control station is too small and too close to the sun to cast such a shadow here. I believe that may be one of the facilities suspected to be a Nuhar Foundry." Mischa@crystyl:| Mia: "It matches with those we identified within the sphere that we suspect to be Nuhar foundries" Mischa@crystyl:"Found/ries/, as in plural? Well, that will certainly be a game changer" T'Lana@anncaris:"We will need a way to reach one and investigate." Mischa@crystyl:nods, "Definitely" T'Lana@anncaris:"Judging by its current speed of orbit, it may leave this region in darkness for a few hours. This may be a good opportunity to set camp and rest before we travel further." Mischa@crystyl:"Indeed. Let us press on as far as we can until then" T'Lana@anncaris:nods and continues on T'Lana@anncaris:| They travel through a series of passes, making their way to higher and higher altitude, though still very much at the foot of the mountain. The environment gets darker and darker around them, and - T'Lana@anncaris:- before long, it is getting too dark to easily travel on Mischa@crystyl:finds a suitable spot to setup camp T'Lana@anncaris:| They find a good spot with plenty of nearby trees for firewood in the night Mischa@crystyl:"This should do. let's get some rest while we can" Mischa@crystyl:| Mia: "We can maintain an active scan perimeter and do not require a recharge for some time, so you can all rest as required" Mischa@crystyl:"Excellent" T'Lana@anncaris:"Do you have enough energy to last until we reach these technological structures on the other side of the mountains? You may not get another opportunity to recharge before then, though we may be - T'Lana@anncaris:- able to spare some power from our less vital equipment." Mischa@crystyl:| Mia smiles, "Thank you Ms. T'Lana but we will be quite alright for some time as long as we do not make frequent use of our replicator or projector" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "We shall rest and leave you to keep watch, then." Mischa@crystyl:smiles appreciatively as she sits and leans against a rock, stretching her legs out to rest. Watching as the little drone nestles nearby T'Lana@anncaris:takes a seat nearby against another rock, looking around, "This is certainly unusually relaxed for a mission to the heart of enemy territory." Mischa@crystyl:"A welcome change of pace" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "Indeed. Hopefully, we will be able to go beneath notice during our entire stay here. The Sphere is massive, even larger than the other spheres we have discovered." Mischa@crystyl:"The odds are certainly in our favour there. Though it seems recently that fate is not" T'Lana@anncaris:"You mean what occured with the Architect?" Mischa@crystyl:"Of course. Things have not exactly gone according to plan since they found this sphere have they" T'Lana@anncaris:"Indeed. I am not one for superstition, but the initial activation of the Sphere by the Iconians also did not go as they expected." Mischa@crystyl:"But... you're not one for superstition" she smirks T'Lana@anncaris:"I am merely pointing out an occurrence which may be taken to support superstition. There is a logical explanation for the misfortunes seen by this particular sphere." Mischa@crystyl:"Oh? This should be good" she smiles with a wink to Rianni T'Lana@anncaris:"It is simple- this sphere was built for conflict against the Horde. Naturally, anything created for the purpose of serving in a conflict will be involved in more conflict. A Defiant-class escort - T'Lana@anncaris:- is likely to be deployed in numerous combat engagements over its service and thus see more damage and more loss of crewmembers. A freighter, on the other hand, may suffer the misfortune of - T'Lana@anncaris:- a pirate attack or a major system failure on occasion, but will for the most part serve its role peacefully." Mischa@crystyl:"Flawless as always" she smiles T'Lana@anncaris:"Perhaps it is for this very reason the Sphere has so much natural life. The Iconians are not a warlike people at their prime, and neither were the Nuhar. It is possible they made this Sphere even - T'Lana@anncaris:- more accommodating to ensure that those working against the Horde would have a place to be comfortable." Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni: "I think so, yeah" Mischa@crystyl:"It's a nice thought isn't it" T'Lana@anncaris:looks to Rianni, "What do you think of the Sphere so far, Ensign? You have been present firsthand for its discovery, the Architect's betrayal, and now our infiltration mission." Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni thinks and looks around at the landscape, "It is the sphere I have seen for myself. But from what I learned, events here are fairly consistent so far with every other sphere discovery" Mischa@crystyl:laughs, "They do tend to come at a set price in blood don't they?" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "That does seem to be the case. However, the reason for that can also be explained by the advanced technology of the spheres, whether as a lack of understanding of it or a desire to - T'Lana@anncaris:- fight over it." Mischa@crystyl:"Or both" T'Lana@anncaris:"We are fortunate that the Architect's use of the Sphere have effectively shut him off from a large number of its other functions. While it would still be preferable to have used the Sphere to - T'Lana@anncaris:- destroy the Horde, this is still a more favourable outcome than one where the Horde discovered the Sphere on its own." Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni: "That's true I guess" T'Lana@anncaris:"Especially if our vessels had not come out here, the Horde may have been able to open the gateways and overwhelm Federation and Romulan space without warning, and we would have possessed no - T'Lana@anncaris:- defense whatsoever against their control." Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni: "Things have been largely fortunate for the greater good since we departed on this mission. Well, since we encountered the colony at Forged Earth I suppose, since that's where it started" Mischa@crystyl:grins: "You're welcome" Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni gives her a curious head tilt Mischa@crystyl:"Who do you think put Keelah of all people on that trail in the first place?" Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni stares back a moment not sure what to believe, "Seriously? Wow..." T'Lana@anncaris:"Our contributions tend to be more subtle than the Valley Forge's." Mischa@crystyl:"So it is for Intelligence. All the work in the background so heroic Command officers can cruise in and become heroes, right?" she looks to TL. Clearly not being /too/ serious T'Lana@anncaris:goes along and nods, looking to Rianni curiously for her reaction Mischa@crystyl:| She is clearly giving it great consideration, "I... never really thought about it. But... yeah, I guess that is how it is isn't it" T'Lana@anncaris:"Of course, your role is just as vital. Our vessels are designed for reconnaissance and our personnel trained for it. Often times, we need Command officers and their ships to act on the intelligence - T'Lana@anncaris:- we obtain." Mischa@crystyl:"That's largely why I spent time serving in Command as well. Even though I was still Intel, I was a part of the starship command structure. Anyway, something for you to sleep on" she smiles, "Get - Mischa@crystyl:- some rest. We've got a long day ahead" leaning back and closing her eyes in a very self-trained forced sleep T'Lana@anncaris:leans back on the rock and closes her eyes as well --- Keliaya@anncaris | In a mechanical room in the lower decks of the ship, Kelly approaches Keelah as several enlisted Engineers work away in the background, "Everything's fine with the subspace relay and all other - Keliaya@anncaris - parts of our communication equipment, Captain. Whatever the problem is, I don't think it's on our end." Keelah@crystyl:"So the next most likely is the comms buoy then" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "That's what I was thinking. I checked for anything that might interfere with comm signals in our vicinity, but even the nebula doesn't block our signals completely, it just makes it a - Keliaya@anncaris:- little unclear at times, and we were well out of the nebula when we sent the message. It can't be something on the Coalition's end, even if the Architect were to launch an attack...there's no way - Keliaya@anncaris:- he already has enough ships, even with the subspace corridors speeding up his reinforcements." Keelah@crystyl:"Is it worth having Relay attempt to communicate independently with the Nuhar, or would he still rely on our network at this range?" Keliaya@anncaris:"He still relies on our network. Nuhar subspace communications have further range than ours, but it still can't reach all the way to Vue-En." Keelah@crystyl:"It warrants further investigation, but given the likelihood of outside influence if we are assuming a buoy problem - I am dubious about simply despatching a runabout" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "I was thinking the same. It could be Horde sabotage- the Architect knows where we placed our buoys. We might just have to wait until we finish our repairs here. Unless the Lupan have - Keliaya@anncaris:- another scout ship to spare..." Keelah@crystyl:"It is certainly worth asking the question" she nods Keliaya@anncaris:"I'll try to get the repairs done as soon as possible in the meantime, in case we need the Valley Forge for this." Keelah@crystyl:"How is our girl faring from all that nastiness anyway?" Keliaya@anncaris:"She's better than it looks. The upgrades we made on Vue-En really helped minimize the damage, even though we didn't get to deploy the ablative armour. We have a few hull breaches, a couple of - Keliaya@anncaris:- weapons arrays and sensor nodes are down, but we've pretty much restored the engine already, and the damage beyond the hull is fairly light. A few subsystems are impacted, but our redundancies - Keliaya@anncaris:- make the effect on our performance fairly minimal, except the hit we took to maneuverability." Keelah@crystyl:"Is all that 'in addition to' the giant gaping hole Lexi blew out of our saucer section, or do you include that in the few hull breaches?" she asks with a dry chuckle Keliaya@anncaris:"That's included in a few hull breaches. It's going to be one of the trickier parts to repair without a proper dock." Keelah@crystyl:"Indeed. I do not like being able to see the innards of deck 7 from my ready room window" she chuckles again Keelah@crystyl:"Just focus on getting the outer hull repaired for now so that we can deploy armour again. The internal fit out will have to wait for proper facilities" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "We'll have it patched up as best as we can. We'll definitely make sure we can use the armour again before we depart here." Keelah@crystyl:"With that in mind, how long do you need before we can get back underway?" Keliaya@anncaris:"At least five days. No proper shipyard means lots of EVA work, and that's very time consuming." Keelah@crystyl:"Five days. So if I tell you we're leaving in three, that should account for the standard engineers estimate?" she smiles Keliaya@anncaris chuckles, "We could manage in three, but it'll be tight with that giant gaping hole..." Keelah@crystyl:"Don't worry, I still remember what it was like as a Chief dealing with CO's unrealistic demands. You'll have the time you need, but the less the better. So let's try and get as close as we can to - Keelah@crystyl:- three days" Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "Thank you, Captain. We'll have her fixed as soon as we can." Keelah@crystyl:"/We/ will. I know that the sooner we get moving again, the sooner we can return to the sphere with reinforcements to get Eva back. So as soon I'm done with the Lupan, Pia and I will help too" Keliaya@anncaris smiles again, "We'll appreciate all the help we can get." Keelah@crystyl:"And on that note, I should leave you to it" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Good luck with the Lupan, Captain." Keelah@crystyl heads out, leaving Kelly to her work while she goes to speak with the Lupan --- Keelah@crystyl makes her way back to her ready room where she request TQ to open her a channel to the Lupan Keliaya@anncaris | Elder Canez appears again on Keelah's screen. "Greetings, Captain. Is there something you require?" Keelah@crystyl:"Actually Elder, yes there is. I am hoping you are in a position to provide us with some further assistance" Keliaya@anncaris | Canez: "We are here to aid you in your fight. What is it you need assistance with?" Keelah@crystyl:"We have been unable to communicate with the Coalition forces stationed at Vue En and now suspect a problem with one of our comms buoy's dropped between here and there. Given the circumstances, - Keelah@crystyl:- there is too great a risk for me to send one of our long range shuttle out there. So I was wondering if you may have the scope to be able to send a scout ship out to investigate?" Keliaya@anncaris | Canez: "We do have more scout ships and guards available, though we are not familiar with your buoys and their technology. We will investigate for you, but it may be wise for some of your - Keliaya@anncaris:- people to come along, if you can spare any who are not vital to your repairs." Keelah@crystyl:"We will make the necessary personnel available, of course. Thank you" Keliaya@anncaris | Canez: "We will ready our guards and one of our ships. Transport your people down to the surface, and we will take them to the ship." Keelah@crystyl:"Understood. I don't know if it will be feasible - or even desirable - but we have a squadron of Nuhar constructs on board. They are approximately shuttle sized, but still fully independent Constructs - Keelah@crystyl:- which could escort your vessel" Keliaya@anncaris | Canez: "Fully independent shuttle sized Constructs? We were not aware such a model existed. The Nuhar did have shuttle-sized drones, but they were different from Constructs." Keelah@crystyl:"These are a unique breed of Construct. How they came to be in our service is something of a long story. But in short; they are temporal anomalies. They are - will have been - designed by us in - Keelah@crystyl:- conjunction with the Nuhar at some point in the future to serve as support craft to Children starships. They are independent constructs who can also function with an onboard pilot" Keliaya@anncaris | Canez: "Our scout ships are armed, but not designed for the purpose of direct confrontation. Having an escort will certainly be beneficial." Keelah@crystyl:"How many support craft of this nature could the scout vessel carry?" Keliaya@anncaris | Canez: "Only a few. We have a single hangar, if we empty it of shuttles, we may be able to fit four to six, depending on the exact size of these Constructs." Keelah@crystyl taps her console, "I am sending you the schematics now. Let me know how many, and I will have them rendezvous with your scout as it breaks orbit" Keelah@crystyl sends both the Nuhar details, and that of Eon as the lead craft Keliaya@anncaris | Canez takes a moment to look over the details before nodding, "We should be able to store five, including the lead craft." Keelah@crystyl:"Very well, I'll make sure they are ready for your vessel. Once the mission is away, I should then be able to beam down and meet you properly" Keliaya@anncaris | Canez: "Until then, Captain." Keelah@crystyl nods, "Until then" she smiles --- Alien NPC@annpc#557 | After beaming down to the central Lupan colony at Sanctuary, TQ and other VF personnel are led into the scout ship from a ramp on the surface. From the outside, the ship looks - Alien NPC@annpc#557 - identical to the one Captain Arvalan used and had almost no resemblance to the Lupan escort ships the VF crew were used to seeing. This pattern continues as TQ steps into the ship Alien NPC@annpc#557 | A Lupan female approaches her, "You must be from the Children ship. I'm Sister Karie." T'Quila@crystyl:"Chief Petty Officer T'Quila, nice to meet you. I'm the Comms Technician" she points to Jenni, "Flight Lieutenant Baelai here heads up the squadron" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "Ahh, those must be the Nuhar Constructs Elder Canez told me about. I didn't think a biological would be leading a squadron of AI fighters, though." T'Quila@crystyl | Jenni smiles proudly, "Neither did I when I joined this mission, but it has proven to be quite the match" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "You must be a very skilled pilot if you can keep up with them. After all, their bodies /are/ the ship, and flying is as natural to them as walking is to us." T'Quila@crystyl snickers as she knows what's coming T'Quila@crystyl | Jenni grins, "That's probably why we work so well together. When I'm in Eon, it's the same for me. The ship becomes an extension of my body!" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "Really? How do you do that? Some form of telepathy- neural technology, perhaps?" T'Quila@crystyl | Jenni nods, "Neural interface" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "That sounds like most interesting technology. May I have a look at it while you are on board?" T'Quila@crystyl | Jenni smiles, "By all means! I'd be happy to show you around. Can meet the squadron too!" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "I look forward to it! But I digress, I should show you to where you will be staying first. Follow me." T'Quila@crystyl:"Thanks" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie leads them through the ship, whose hallways are quite small, at least for a Lupan vessel, and the other Lupan are clearly in tight quarters. There is more than enough room for TQ and - Alien NPC@annpc#557 - Jenni to move around in given their much smaller size Alien NPC@annpc#557 | They soon arrive at a simple room with a long central table, four large mats across the room with four smaller desks evenly spread out. There are no chairs, only smaller circular rugs Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "We do not have much room on the scout ship, so you will have to share this room. We are...not sure what else you Children require." Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie motions to a door on the far side of the room, "There is a bathroom beyond there, and the replicator is built into the central table." T'Quila@crystyl:"This will be fine" she smiles, "Part of who we really are is exploring other cultures, so it will be nice to embrace a purer form of Lupan culture" T'Quila@crystyl | Jenni doesn't comment. Clearly she misses comfy chairs and beds, but shares TQ's sentiment still Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "You've met the other Lupan out there in the galaxy, haven't you?" T'Quila@crystyl nods, "Well, only in more recent years since we came out this far. One even lives on the Valley Forge now! But we know their heritage is largely lost to them over time now, and what remains is most- T'Quila@crystyl:- likely contaminated by other cultures" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie lowers her head sadly, "That is what we heard from our scouts as well. Scout ships like these were created to bring news of what was happening outside the Sanctuary. We deploy them - Alien NPC@annpc#557:- sparingly, especially since the Horde took the surrounding areas, but we send one out every few years to check on our people and Horde activity nearby." T'Quila@crystyl:"How long has it been since you last checked up on things in the region now?" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "It has been over two of our years. Your Coalition must have been founded recently, or at least the Lupan joined you recently. Our last scouting expedition reported that there was still - Alien NPC@annpc#557:- little change in the Lupans' behaviour, and word of your Coalition had not reached us then, if it existed at all." T'Quila@crystyl:"Likely not. It may have been in its infancy insofar as most of the species who now make up the bulk of it were at least aware of each other and the Horde, and starting to collaborate or think - T'Quila@crystyl:- about collaborating. I'm not even sure it's really been formalized as a thing in it's own right. It's just what people started calling it and I guess it's kind of stuck..." Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie nods, "That explains why we never heard of them before. And your people? We have not exactly spent much effort in meeting new species, but we are aware of all the major factions nearby, - Alien NPC@annpc#557:- and we have never heard of your people before." T'Quila@crystyl:"The Federation core is much further coreward in this quadrant of the galaxy. We have been travelling for a good few standard years to reach this far now" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "That would explain it. I was on the expedition before the last one, and I never heard anything about your people." T'Quila@crystyl:"There have been historical expeditions from our region out this way before. But we have since learned that the one of these we know of apparently fell to the Horde. We met a few of their - T'Quila@crystyl:- with the Guardians. They were recovered thralls who believed themselves to be remnants of some long lost civilization out here" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "Yes, the Guardians do liberate any thralls they can, but full thralls would already have their previous memories overridden, so they would not remember where they came from. Were they - Alien NPC@annpc#557:- of your people, or simply from your region?" She looks between TQ and Jenni, "We Lupan have never been very good at telling you apart, but we can see the distinguishing marks of different species." T'Quila@crystyl smiles, "Some of us are more physically distinct than others. The species in question not of either of our species', but another galactic power in the region - Klingon" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "Do you have many different species on your ship, including these Klingon?" T'Quila@crystyl smiles, "Oh yes! Even before we set out on this mission it was an incredibly diverse crew, moreso than many Starfleet vessels I think. And it's only grown more diverse since then!" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "I've noticed that some Children species like to stay with their own kind and have ships crewed only by their species, while some can be quite diverse." T'Quila@crystyl:"Indeed. Klingons and Romulans tend to fall into the former there, while Starfleet - the Federation - falls into the latter" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie nods, "This Starfleet you belong to is the fleet of your Federation, I assume?" T'Quila@crystyl:"That's right. It's a little convoluted to explain, but that's the best way of looking at it" T'Quila@crystyl:"In terms of how we are seen by other galactic powers, Starfleet and the Federation are just two different words for the same thing" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "I will keep that in mind. I look forward to learning more about your people," she looks at Jenni, "and your technology. I've always been curious of what has been occuring outside - Alien NPC@annpc#557:- the Sanctuary. We should have plenty of time to discuss once the ship is underway, but first I need to assist with the launch preparation. Do let me know if you need anything." T'Quila@crystyl | Jenni: "Will do!" Alien NPC@annpc#557 | Karie bows her head before stepping out --- T'Lana@anncaris:| On the Sphere, the infiltration team wakes from their rest as the facility above moves away, causing the sun to shine through once again Mischa@crystyl:"I guess that's what counts as morning around here then" T'Lana@anncaris:"I wonder if the facilities are specifically set to orbit over more natural parts of the Sphere to simulate nighttime to provide a more natural environment for the flora and fauna here." Mischa@crystyl:"I wouldn't put it past the Iconians, that's for sure" T'Lana@anncaris:"It is a logical measure to take, provided one has the technological capabilities, and the Iconians certainly do." T'Lana@anncaris:looks off to the mountains in the distance, "Let us proceed further into the mountains." Mischa@crystyl:nods, "We've a lot of ground to cover today" T'Lana@anncaris:begins resuming their journey into the mountains, "Even knowing the capabilities of the Iconians, it is still difficult to accept that all this is in fact artificially created. It rivals the most - T'Lana@anncaris:- striking natural landscapes I have seen." Mischa@crystyl:"True. But perhaps as we said yesterday, it's current state largely is a natural development after being left alone for so long" T'Lana@anncaris:"Indeed. I suppose it is essentially a natural landscape now, simply growing atop an artificial structure." T'Lana@anncaris:takes out her tricorder as they walk, scanning around. She pauses for a moment to check her readings, before kneeling down next to a plant and scanning it closely Mischa@crystyl:stops for a rest, watching curiously T'Lana@anncaris:raises a brow as she scans. Mischa soon sees it without scanning as well- the plant has bright red leaves, unlike the leaves of the plants they had passed so far, which had more familiar green hues - T'Lana@anncaris:- similar to Earth plants. Looking into the distance, Mischa notices that there are more and more red plants, while the green plants seem to be dwindling in number the further up the mountain - T'Lana@anncaris:- she looks Mischa@crystyl:"Curious... a change in the environment of some description?" T'Lana@anncaris:"A change in environment is expected due to the altitude difference. However, this higher altitude environment appears to host a completely different ecosystem evolved from a different planet. The - T'Lana@anncaris:- hues of plants are the result of the wavelength of light they are unable to absorb. The plants in the previous ecosystem were all unable to absorb green wavelengths, while these plants are unable - T'Lana@anncaris:- to absorb red wavelengths. As all the flora of a planet receives its light from the same star, the wavelengths it absorbs tend towards the same wavelengths. These red plants almost certainly - T'Lana@anncaris:- originate from a different world, likely a different star system, than the green ones in the earlier environment." Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni: "A little taste of home for them perhaps" Mischa@crystyl:"It is certainly further evidence that this was - once at least - a very thoughtfully designed landscape" T'Lana@anncaris:stands, nodding towards Rianni, "That is a logical explanation. Perhaps the Iconians engineered these environments to suit the different worlds they may have come from." Mischa@crystyl:"I know a /lot/ of blue-collared Starfleet folks who will be eager to see out their careers studying this place" T'Lana@anncaris:"This Sphere is a perfect place for Science officers of all different specializations. I wish we had more time to study this natural region as well, but first we must ensure we can get the entire - T'Lana@anncaris:- Sphere under our control." Mischa@crystyl:"Indeed. Once it is secured, /then/ we can afford to lose ourselves in the exploration. For now though; on with the mission" T'Lana@anncaris:nods and continues forward up the mountainside T'Lana@anncaris:| They press on quietly for a few hours, until they notice another dark cloud moving overhead, this one much smaller but also much faster than the facility from before Mischa@crystyl:looks up, "Mia, any insight?" T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia detects that it is not another facility, but actually a massive swarm of drones! Mischa@crystyl:| Mia: "That is... a drone swarm" Mischa@crystyl:"Presumably under the Architects control. We should take cover" T'Lana@anncaris:"Agreed. That rock formation should put us out of view should they pass by close." Mischa@crystyl:hurries over with the others and watches while the swarm passes T'Lana@anncaris:| Soon, the swarm disappears over the horizon, having shown no sign of spotting them T'Lana@anncaris:"I do not believe they saw us. It should be safe to proceed." Mischa@crystyl:"Seems that way. Stay sharp though" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "Agreed. We are not entirely out of danger in this natural region." T'Lana@anncaris:"We may need to set camp again soon. I predict at our current pace and the difficulty of the terrain as we proceed further, we will need one more day to reach the other side of the mountain." Mischa@crystyl:"We knew this was a possibility when we set out. Alright, let's keep an eye out for a suitable place to layover" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "Let us press on for the moment. I suggest setting up in a location with cover similar to this one, in case additional drones pass over the area while we rest." Mischa@crystyl:"Sounds good to me" T'Lana@anncaris:makes her way out from the rock formation, continuing up the mountain for the time being T'Lana@anncaris:| After some more travelling, the team sets up camp on a plateau on the mountainside. They are now surrounded completely by red plant life, from the shrubs to even the grass below them, giving the - T'Lana@anncaris:- landscape a distinctly alien feel. Even some of the rocks, which look more normal, are covered in a layer of reddish moss Rianni@crystyl:- determined to prove herself infront of new officers she like was still a 1st year cadet, takes care of setting up camp again for them T'Lana@anncaris:steps up to Rianni, "Allow me to assist, Ensign." Rianni@crystyl:"Oh I don't mind Commander" she smiles, "It's nice to feel like I'm contributing!" Rianni@crystyl:| Mischa meanwhile, perches on a rock to the side of the camp, enjoying the serene view while still being in earshot and smiling to herself as she listens T'Lana@anncaris:"Do not worry, Ensign. You are certainly contributing to the mission, and there will be plenty of opportunities to come. I believe our infiltration is only just beginning. We have not yet found any - T'Lana@anncaris:- significant technology or assets of tactical value yet." Rianni@crystyl:"All the reason to help out more now while there's little else to assist with" Rianni@crystyl:| Mischa calls over, "And it takes the pressure off later on when you do have other duties to attend to, yes? Having ingratiated yourself sufficiently that when it suits you then, you can more - Rianni@crystyl:- comfortably impose on the rest of us?" she teases Rianni@crystyl:doesn't know it's a tease and flushes, stammering to respond, "I... no I didn't... but, though you're not... dammit!" T'Lana@anncaris:"I am fairly certain the Commander is simply playing with you." Rianni@crystyl:| Mischa: "Relax Ensign. It is a perfectly logical strategy, don't you think Lana?" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "The Ensign's logic is sound." Rianni@crystyl:starts preparing some rations while they all talk. She looks across to TL, "May I ask you something Commander?" T'Lana@anncaris:"Of course. What do you wish to ask?" Rianni@crystyl:"Well, it's just that I noticed the Commander always drops the 'T' from your name when addressing you. And I know Captain Keelah goes by, well, Keelah. So also dropping it by her own choice. What is- Rianni@crystyl:- the precedent for this? Is it just a cultural evolution now, or a matter of being personable?" T'Lana@anncaris:"It is mostly the latter case. Many cultures have a precedent for shortening names in conversation, in some cases out of practicality due to the length of the full name, and in other cases to be - T'Lana@anncaris:- more amicable with a certain individual. Those who know me well call me Lana on occasion, while those who are not familiar with me always use T'Lana. In the case of Captain Keelah, I believe it - T'Lana@anncaris:- is slightly different." Rianni@crystyl:nods, "Yeah, I think with her it is more of a chosen name away from her given. Well as long as I know how to address you properly without causing insult!" she smiles before catching herself, "Um...- Rianni@crystyl:- not that I would ever presume familiarity of course" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "Yes. Mia can likely speak for her better than I can, but from what I have read of her records, I believe Keelah chose the name as it was less distinctly Vulcan, to demonstrate that she does - T'Lana@anncaris:- not subscribe to certain ideals upheld by most other Vulcans. And do not worry, Ensign. I will not be insulted by the use of a more familiar name. I do not mind either, it is simply a pattern I - T'Lana@anncaris:- have noticed others following based on their familiarity with me." Rianni@crystyl:"I will keep that in mind Commander. Perhaps one day I feel suitably familiar to drop the formality as well then" T'Lana@anncaris:"You may do so whenever you feel comfortable. You are quite familiar with Captain Keelah, I presume? She did allow you to take your exams early and offered you a bridge position immediately upon - T'Lana@anncaris:- becoming Ensign." Rianni@crystyl:"Yes, we have been close since even more this mission started. Pia is one of my best friends too, so I suppose that leads to more familiarity" she pauses and blinks, "Oh hey, I did it with her name - Rianni@crystyl:- without even thinking about it too!" Rianni@crystyl:"But yes, I have served an active bridge position ever since the mission commenced. When I returned from the infiltration of the Terran Kassandra, she determined that there was nothing further the - Rianni@crystyl:- final year of training could do to prepare me for the role" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "As you can see, the familiarity comes by instinct much of the time. And I agree with your captain's decision, your service record so far is quite impressive for someone so young." Rianni@crystyl:flushes and smiles, "Thank you Commander. I have worked my hardest after what happened to me following the Gainsborough mess. I had to, to prove myself being worthy of retaining my standing as the - Rianni@crystyl:- Observer had earned to that point" Rianni@crystyl:| Mischa gives a slight twitch, partially glancing back at mention of the Gainsborough. Not that Rianni can see T'Lana@anncaris:"I believe you have more than lived up to her feats with all you have managed on the Valley Forge so far." Rianni@crystyl:"Like I said, I had to. Else I'd forever be 'that girl who was replaced by someone better, but we had to have back because she was here first'" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "I can see where you are coming from. While some of the Observer's skills may have been given to her by her creators, much of it is still based on you. Everything she did, while not directly - T'Lana@anncaris:- your actions, must still reflect on your skill to some degree. I believe you are fully capable of everything she is, which is why the Commander asked for your presence on this mission." Rianni@crystyl:"It is true that our neural link worked both ways. So as much as she gained access to my personality and memory, I also gained access to her genetic memory. So her training and skills" Rianni@crystyl:"Not that I'm anywhere near her level, but I've been practising with one of the warriors from the QanwI' especially!" T'Lana@anncaris:raises a brow, "One of the warriors from the QanwI'? I have heard that the Observer has excellent combat skills. Are you trying to hone your own as well?" Rianni@crystyl:nods, "Or at least make the most of what I had in my head from the Observer so that I could effectively defend myself having had a close call or two and not feeling particularly capable" T'Lana@anncaris:"For an officer of your age, you must be quite capable already. With the dangers out here however, it is always best to learn more." Rianni@crystyl:"A case of 'needs - must' really" she smiles T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "Indeed. Are the rations ready?" Rianni@crystyl:checks, "Just about!" and goes about dishing them out Rianni@crystyl:| Mischa chimes in over her shoulder, "Of course, that is all why you took this assignment, wasn't it Ensign?" Rianni@crystyl:"Commander?" Rianni@crystyl:| Mischa: "That necessity which accompanies such a dangerous mission. It would have been the ideal opportunity to meet your own goals at the time of proving yourself /as/ yourself and setting - Rianni@crystyl:- yourself apart from the Observer" Rianni@crystyl:thinks and nods, "Yeah... there's no denying that's a big part of it" T'Lana@anncaris:"We are fortunate to have your skills along, Ensign, and I am sure they will be of great use in the near future. I hope you will find a good chance to set yourself apart from the Observer as well." Rianni@crystyl:"I like to think I already have. But I also don't think I'll ever really stop trying to..." Rianni@crystyl:"but enough about me and her, food is ready!" T'Lana@anncaris:"Let us eat and rest. We have much ground to cover still tomorrow." --- NPC@annpc#557 | Back at the Sanctuary, Keelah beams down to be greeted by Elder Yaseni, "You must be the captain that was speaking with Canez earlier." Keelah@crystyl nods, stepping off the pad, "I am Captain Keelah" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "I'm Elder Yaseni. Come with me." She turns to lead the way out of the transporter area and into the building beyond. Through the windows, Keelah can get a good look at the Lupan - NPC@annpc#557:- settlement of significant size and activity outside Keelah@crystyl takes it all in as she walks NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "An unusual sight, isn't it? Our people are usually nomadic, always have been. You rarely see Lupan settle down." Keelah@crystyl:"Until recently I was not aware such a thing even existed. Your tribe has been here since the Progenitor's uplift, or is it simply a world you eventually settled?" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "It is a world we settled. Once we lived among the rest of our people on the greatest Progenitor ship they ever built for the purposes of war- the Protector's Shield. We were betrayed - NPC@annpc#557:- by our own, fools and cowards who wanted to abandon their purpose. They withdrew our reinforcements and left us to die, telling our kin that they could not save us and that we and all the - NPC@annpc#557:- knowledge we preserved was lost. But the Protector's Shield was stronger than they thought. We fled the battle with the ship damaged beyond repair, but its occupants, data, and artifacts all safe." NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "We found this world and settled here, taking apart the ship to build the foundations of this Sanctuary, where we hid from both the Horde and our own." Keelah@crystyl:"I was not aware of the specifics of those events. I appreciate you providing insight" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "It was a long time ago. Even the other Lupan have forgotten. No doubt the traitors would have been pleased to see the Lupan as the raiding vagabonds we became, but at least their - NPC@annpc#557:- ideals were lost. How could they still be remembered, when but a few years ago the Lupan did not even remember that we /had/ a purpose to begin with?" Keelah@crystyl:"I can appreciate the difficulty. I know the Sisterhood we have met previously strived to recover that past. It is just unfortunate that they had become so misguided about it" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "Indeed. We had considered revealing ourselves when we learned that this new Sisterhood sought to recover what has been lost, but given their radically different interpretation, our - NPC@annpc#557:- predecessors were not sure how they would react to the truth and chose to maintain the safety of the Sanctuary rather than take that risk." Keelah@crystyl:"An understandable decision given the circumstances" she nods NPC@annpc#557 | The two arrive at the same room where Mischa and T'Lana were shown the recording. Here, the other two Elders awaited them NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "Elder Canez you have already met." She motions to the third Elder with almost completely white fur, "This is Elder Hateen, the oldest among us Elders." Keelah@crystyl dips her head in greeting, "It is my pleasure to finally meet you all properly, and to thank you in person for all of your assistance" NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "And for yours. I understand you represent this Coalition that has finally convinced our people to return to their purpose." Keelah@crystyl:"I can speak for the Coalition" she nods NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "Then you have our gratitude for all you have done as well." Keelah@crystyl:"Mutual assistance is the foundation on which we have built the Coalition, and it has served us well so far" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "As I said when we spoke earlier over comms, we may have some things of interest to you as well." NPC@annpc#557 | Canez activates the holographic message that Mischa and T'Lana were showed, "I presume you have already seen this?" Keelah@crystyl:"I have seen the fractured recording held by the Sisterhood we met previously. I understand this is the complete thing?" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez nods, "That is correct. We possess the complete records of the Keeper of Histories, though you may find this one particularly relevant." NPC@annpc#557 | Canez taps her scanner, which emits a different frequency. The recording changes, showing a different Progenitor dressed in the same robes NPC@annpc#557 | The hologram speaks again, "I am the Keeper of Histories. This is a record of Horde Conflict, as per Year 225 of the Thirteenth Drelan Cycle." NPC@annpc#557 | Keeper: "The Horde fights on, ever replenishing their numbers with more Children species. Though we were not as vulnerable as the Children, the Architect’s method was originally developed to - NPC@annpc#557:- dominate our minds, and the Horde still affects us. In order to combat this new foe, we had to resort to methods we would not have otherwise considered." NPC@annpc#557 | Keeper: "We developed the Contingency, a weapon targeting the genome of the Children to destroy as much of the Horde as possible. For a time we considered destroying all that we have created - NPC@annpc#557:- in order to stem the tide. Fortunately, the most advanced of our Children had created or modified life of their own. The Nuhar Constructs and Iconian Heralds did not have the vulnerability and - NPC@annpc#557:- were sent to assist us." NPC@annpc#557 | Keeper: "We took inspiration from how the Iconians shaped their Heralds and altered a powerful predator species to become intelligent beings capable of reason and cooperation. The Protectors, - NPC@annpc#557:- or Lupan as they have named themselves in their own language, are optimized for battle- more powerful and deadly than any of the Children. Their natural predatory traits, combined with the - NPC@annpc#557:- adjustments we have made, has resulted in the perfect warrior, and one immune to Fallen control due to not being one of the Children species seeded by the Architect." NPC@annpc#557 | Keeper: "Some of us have voiced our discomfort at the creation of the Protectors. Once the Horde is stopped, they fear that the Lupan may seek to overpower and dominate the Children just like - NPC@annpc#557:- the enemy they were made to protect against. For now however, they are needed, as we still cannot stop the Horde, only slow their progress." NPC@annpc#557 | Keeper: "There is also the matter of the truth. The Children do not know what the Horde truly is, and the Elder Council has decided not to share the matter of the Architect and the Fallen with - NPC@annpc#557:- them. Deceiving the Children has also made many uncomfortable, but the Protectors alone cannot hold the line and the Elder Council believes there is a chance the Children will not stand with us - NPC@annpc#557:- if they discover that this enemy is of our own making." Keelah@crystyl:"I am aware of this genetic 'last resort' he speaks of. Now I understand why the Progenitors created it" NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "I suspect the other Sisterhood likely possessed some fractured version of this message as well. They believe correctly that we were engineered by the Progenitors to be warriors, but - NPC@annpc#557:- have erroneously come to the conclusion that the purpose was to surpass and dominate their earlier Children." Keelah@crystyl:"That is a widespread belief I have observed among many of your kin" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez takes out a palm-sized cube, handing it to Keelah, "Hopefully, with the complete copies of these recordings, this belief will be dispelled over time." Keelah@crystyl:"Thank you. I will ensure this finds its way into the right hands" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez motions for her to follow to a different part of the room, "There is one other thing we have for you." NPC@annpc#557 | The elder taps on a console and a drawer slides open, revealing two very familiar-looking data cylinders Keelah@crystyl perks a brow, "Those look like the message cylinders left behind by our Guardian guide" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni nods, "Many generations back, a Sorobeth Guardian found us as well and left these in our care. One is a message concerning her search for the Heart of War, which she left an identical - NPC@annpc#557:- copy of on the homeworld of the Jossra. I take it by your familiarity that you must have found it already, and if not, it is of little value to you now that you know the location of the Sphere." Keelah@crystyl:"We did indeed find that, and a second one she left there from a return visit" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez retrieves one of the cylinders, holding it out to Keelah, "This one, you would not have found, for she did not leave another copy elsewhere to our knowledge. It contains information the - NPC@annpc#557:- Sorobeth guarded very carefully- the schematics for their warbots, or the models in service during Docha's time, their newest and most efficient models, for they did not last much longer after - NPC@annpc#557:- that, and likely had little time or resources to refine their warbots further." NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "They're no Lupan, but as fast as we can breed, we still can't compare to the mass production of assembly lines. And they held back the Horde in many campaigns using these very bots, - NPC@annpc#557:- and their older variants. Your Coalition may find these schematics useful." Keelah@crystyl:"I am certain this will prove useful" she nods NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "You are welcome to explore our archives further during your time here. We have much on the history of the Progenitors, their first Children, and the Lupan, though these we gift to you - NPC@annpc#557:- are the most relevant to your Coalition and its fight." Keelah@crystyl:"The Progenitors are a source of great interest for many Children species in the Federation. It is still within living memory that most of us learned of their part in our evolution" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Then you will certainly be interested in our records here. Feel free to explore, and if you find any data you wish to take, ask one of our sisters and we will make a copy for you." Keelah@crystyl:"That is most gracious of you. I wish I had more to offer in exchange, but I fear we have very little of equal interest to you. That said, there are a few things which come to mind..." NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "You have already done much for us by correcting the ways of our other brethren and standing against the Horde." NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "Though I am curious what you wish to offer." Keelah@crystyl:"We have uncovered a great deal of regional knowledge - both current and historical - which I am happy to share. Along with anything you may wish to know about the current state of affairs with the - Keelah@crystyl:- Coalition and it's member species including the other Lupan and the Nuhar Constructs, naturally. We also have significant information on the current status of the Iconians" NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "/Current/ status of the Iconians? To our knowledge, they were all hunted down and slain when the newer Children they tried to watch over turned on them for their knowledge." Keelah@crystyl:"We had believed so also, until they surfaced in recent years following our discovery and activation of their Gateway network. This led to a brief but catastrophic conflict with them, which has - Keelah@crystyl:- thankfully now been resolved. They had become malevolent and twisted over time you see, and sought revenge against Children species for their betrayal. They are now in a self-imposed isolation - Keelah@crystyl:- while they reconcile themselves with the current state of the galaxy" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez nods, "Yes, we would certainly be interested in this information. There is much going on in the galaxy that our scout ships have not yet uncovered." Keelah@crystyl:"And we have a very broad picture of it that I'm all too happy to share with you. Starfleet has had expeditions into every quadrant of the galaxy now, so there may be a lot more in our archives of - Keelah@crystyl:- interest to you than I first thought" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "It would seem so. Our goal here is to preserve the history of the Lupan, but many of us are certainly interested in the wider affairs of the galaxy. Every Sister has a desire to learn, - NPC@annpc#557:- after all." Keelah@crystyl smiles, "As do we. When we first set out from Federation space we had no clue about the Horde, or anything this far rimward. We came to explore and meet new people, to expand our knowledge and - Keelah@crystyl:- understanding of the galaxy. It has simply turned into a war campaign since learning of the Horde threat" NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "Then I hope we both see a day when the Horde is stopped, so we may explore and learn together." Keelah@crystyl smiles, "That is a goal worthy of striving for if ever I heard one" NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "We certainly have more in common than I expected. You are welcome at the Sanctuary at any time, whether to seek assistance again or simply to share knowledge." Keelah@crystyl:"And as long as we are here, you are most welcome to visit us on the Valley Forge. Even if she's not her most presentable right now..." NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Our small scout ships are not exactly luxurious. I am sure your vessel will be quite comfortable for a visit." Keelah@crystyl:"I don't know if you are already aware or not, but we have a Lupan on the crew as well" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "No, I don't believe I've heard of it, at least. How did you manage to convince one to join your crew? A representative from the new Sisterhood?" Keelah@crystyl:"No, Azatul was a warrior in service of the Sisterhood long ago. But when we met him he was living in exile and has grown... disjointed with those ways" NPC@annpc#557 | Yaseni: "Ahh, that's why he joined you. I thought most Lupan out there believed that they were superior to the Children." NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "He sounds like he has an interesting perspective." Keelah@crystyl:"I believe so. I found our conversations most satisfying" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "I will certainly take the time to visit your vessel and meet him for myself while you are here." Keelah@crystyl:"My attention is needed on the repair work. But I will put my Science Officer - Lendaria - in contact with you. She will be the one leading any parties here to explore your archives and can help - Keelah@crystyl:- coordinate your visits to the ship as well" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez nods, "We will reach out and coordinate with her." NPC@annpc#557 | Hateen: "It is a pleasure to have you here at our Sanctuary, Captain." Keelah@crystyl:"The pleasure is mine, for it is truly living up to the name for us" --- NPC@annpc#557 | A little over a day after the scout ship is launched, TQ is called to the bridge of the craft T'Quila@crystyl steps onto the unfamiliar bridge NPC@annpc#557 | 0n the bridge, a number of Lupan work away at the consoles. Karie stands before one and turns to TQ as she enters, "We are approaching the coordinates of your comm buoy." T'Quila@crystyl:"Moment of truth then..." NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan Pilot: "We will arrive in five minutes." NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "Nothing on sensors at the moment, but we are approaching in stealth mode in case there are enemies in the area." T'Quila@crystyl:"I assume Jenni and the squadron are on standby?" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan Lieutenant: "They are. They will be launched if we must break stealth and fight." T'Quila@crystyl:"Right. Well, I'll keep an eye on these scans for now and see if I can see what's going on with the buoy" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie nods, "You may take this console. You know your technology best, after all." T'Quila@crystyl smiles, "Thanks, that will do nicely!" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie steps over to the empty console next to it. Soon, the pilot announces, "Arriving at the coordinates now." NPC@annpc#557 | Scans do not pick up the buoy. However, they do detect traces of debris... T'Quila@crystyl:"Well this might explain why we've been unable to contact it... I'm seeing traces of debris where the buoy should be" NPC@annpc#557 | Closer examination indicates that the debris does match the buoy's composition! T'Quila@crystyl nods after a moment, "Yep, that's definitely our buoy. Or what's left of it..." NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "There are traces of tachyon particles some distance away from here." NPC@annpc#557 | Karie taps away at her console, "Followed by a warp trail leading here, and then back to the site of the particles. The trail seems to both begin and end there." T'Quila@crystyl:"That's indicative of a cloaked ship right?" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "No, not at these levels, unless it's a terribly malfunctioning cloak. It's more likely to be an opening to subspace given the level of tachyons still lingering in the area." T'Quila@crystyl:"Ohh...! Like the Carran subspace corridors. That... the Horde recently gained access to with a couple of scout ships according to the Guardians..." NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "They have access to subspace corridors now? That is not good...but it would explain the tachyon readings." T'Quila@crystyl:"Our latest communication with the Guardians suggested intelligence that the Horde had a couple of advance recon scouts in the area, and that those had gained access to the corridors" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "They must be reaching your buoys quickly using these corridors to cut off your communication with the Coalition. You have an entire network of buoys, correct?" T'Quila@crystyl:"Yes, they are periodically deployed at maximum range to extend our network as far as possible" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "I wonder if they've destroyed this one buoy, or if they are targeting your entire network...." T'Quila@crystyl:"That is a good question... there aren't that many between here and Vue En, but travelling back to investigate them all would be just as lengthy as aiming for Vue En itself" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "Indeed. Perhaps you can investigate on your way back, and deploy more when you find one destroyed, though not at the same locations so the Horde cannot easily destroy them again." T'Quila@crystyl:"Makes sense. It is worrying that we still can't even warn them about the Horde and the Architect" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "That must be what the Architect wants. Arvalan reported that he is gathering reinforcements to the Sphere, and he likely does not want your Coalition to mobilize before he is ready." T'Quila@crystyl:"And this kind of tactic seems a little too... focused from what we've seen of the Horde previously. Especially in such small numbers as a single ship" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "The warp trail indicates only one ship, and the energy signatures on the debris are all consistent, supporting that idea. The Horde is under new leadership, after all..." T'Quila@crystyl:"Well we have our answers. Now I have to report this to the Captain" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan Lieutenant: "Shall we turn back towards the Sanctuary, then?" T'Quila@crystyl:"That's not my call, I'm just here to diagnose the comms array. And that was, well, kinda easy in the end..." NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "If the buoys are placed at maximum range, it may take a long time to reach the next one..." T'Quila@crystyl:"But the way I see it, it's either turn back, press forwards, or hunt the Horde ship" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan Lieutenant: "There is no point in hunting them. Special drives are not needed to access subspace tunnels, only knowledge of their routes. If one thralls has this knowledge, the entirety - NPC@annpc#557:- of the Horde has it now. If we destroy this one, they will simply send another. The Horde will not miss a single ship." T'Quila@crystyl:"True. But don't forget that they have been all but wiped out the immediate area. There were - I think - two ships suspected?" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "And the Architect /is/ calling for reinforcements, so it may be worth picking off what ships we can. It will be difficult to track it through the subspace corridors, however. We are - NPC@annpc#557:- not familiar with its paths." T'Quila@crystyl smiles, "This is why I'm just a commstech. Command decisions like this are well over my pay grade" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "If we assume this ship is continuing with picking off your comm buoys, we may be able to follow the corridors roughly towards your next buoy. Show me a map of your buoys." T'Quila@crystyl taps on the console to plot the positions NPC@annpc#557 | Karie looks to the Lupan Lieutenant, who nods NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan Lieutenant: "Let us see if we can intercept this ship, then." NPC@annpc#557 | Pilot: "Moving us into position of the subspace tunnel now." NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan Lieutenant: "Take us through when we're in place." NPC@annpc#557 | The scout ship moves into the subspace corridor, and after a short while of traveling, emerges once again, though not necessarily from the best exit point due to their lack - NPC@annpc#557:- of maps on the tunnels. They travel for some time towards the next buoy, only to find the same thing as the first- debris, with tachyon signatures from the much closer subspace tunnel exit that - NPC@annpc#557:- the Horde must have used NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "So they are targeting more than the closest buoy..." T'Quila@crystyl:"The Architect knows his plan is at risk if the Coalition comes in force. He saw the combined fleet stop the largest Horde force in recorded history dead in its tracks. He's doing everything he can- T'Quila@crystyl:- to prevent us from bringing them to the sphere for as long as possible" NPC@annpc#557 | Karie nods, "It would seem so." NPC@annpc#557 | Pilot: "The Horde know these tunnels better than us, and with their ship already ahead of us, we'll never catch up by blindly navigating this maze." T'Quila@crystyl:"Then there's no choice but to head back" NPC@annpc#557 | The Lieutenant nods, "Let us use the same path we arrived in to at least make better speed on the journey home, and report what we have found to your Captain and the Elders." T'Quila@crystyl nods, "Makes sense" NPC@annpc#557 | The pilot nods as well, "Taking us back to the exit we used." NPC@annpc#557 | Karie: "At least we know what happened to your buoys, and the Architect's plans. If he is specifically targeting your communications, that suggests he is afraid. That is at least good news." T'Quila@crystyl:"Agreed" --- T'Lana@anncaris:| Over a day later, the infiltration team begins to descend from the mountain. In the distance, the tall spires of the large city-like collection of towers can already be seen, with what seems like - T'Lana@anncaris:- several kilometres of thick jungle terrain in between it and the mountain T'Lana@anncaris:| Once again, the flora is significantly different, as a canopy of purple leaves cover the jungle below them... Mischa@crystyl:"Another interesting change in landscape" T'Lana@anncaris:"Indeed. I suspect the purple colouration indicates that these plants are retinal-based, instead of using chlorophyll for photosynthesis. While it is not unheard of for retinal-based plant life to - T'Lana@anncaris:- develop on the same world as chlorophyll-based plant life," she glances to Mischa. "Your homeworld possessed retinal-using microbes early in its development, in fact, but one tends to dominate - T'Lana@anncaris:- over the other as evolution progresses, as evident by the green plants of modern Earth. This jungle we are headed towards most likely consists of life originating from yet another different world." Mischa@crystyl:"Makes sense" T'Lana@anncaris:| As they begin to near the jungle environment, they also feel a marked increase in both temperature and the humidity of the air around them Mischa@crystyl:removes her jacket, "This is going to be a long slog" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "I estimate at least another half-day's journey through this jungle to reach the technological structures. This is very curious, however." T'Lana@anncaris:makes no move to take off her jacket, but take out her tricorder and begins scanning T'Lana@anncaris:"Curious indeed. The Sphere surface means every region is equidistant from the star. While the contents of the ecosystem can raise or lower temperatures, but a change this drastic often requires - T'Lana@anncaris:- additional factors, and position does not come into play here. This suggests that the Sphere must be actively maintaining a different climate for this region." Mischa@crystyl:"Seems like quite the undertaking, but given where we are I should not be surprised if that were the case" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "I suspect we will find many different climates on this Sphere yet. Given its size, it can easily have a region for every type of environment, perhaps even every world its builders and - T'Lana@anncaris:- operators came from." Mischa@crystyl:"That is certainly feasible based on what we've seen so far" T'Lana@anncaris:pauses as they begin to enter the jungle, running her tricorder over a vine on a nearby plant before taking a step back Mischa@crystyl:watches, "Cause for concern?" T'Lana@anncaris:takes another step back as the vine begins to hiss, and it is clear that the 'vine' is not really a vine at all T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "This serpent is highly venomous." Mischa@crystyl:"Well. Best we add indigenous lifeforms to the watch list from here on" she notes to Mia Mischa@crystyl:| Mia nods, "We shall do so!" T'Lana@anncaris:"Lush, humid environments such as this are often home to poisonous lifeforms. However, I did not expect to find one here. Perhaps it only evolved this capability recently, but even with the short - T'Lana@anncaris:- lifespans of such creatures, 200,000 years is not much time for a non-venomous creature to evolve such a concentration of poison. The alternative would be that it was deliberately placed here, - T'Lana@anncaris:- though if these environments were designed to remind them of home...this seems to be a little /too/ much detail." Mischa@crystyl:| Rianni: "I remember sometimes growing up, we would have fresh produce shipped to the colony from Earth as it was so close. And sometimes with tropical fruits and such, small creatures would find - Mischa@crystyl:- their way in to the shipments. As such, we ended up with tropical poisonous spiders on Mars" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "A very logical explanation, Ensign. Perhaps this serpent's ancestors similarly found their way here by accident within the plants that were transported here from their native habitat." Mischa@crystyl:"I guess we'll see if there is any more wildlife. I would surmise that if this theory stands, there would be little to no variety. But that then begs the question of how this species survived..." T'Lana@anncaris:"There must be prey for it to devour. It does not appear to be a herbivore." Mischa@crystyl:"Indeed. So unless it has found natural prey in more common species transported here intentionally, there must be some other explanation" T'Lana@anncaris:"I have detected some insect life in the other environments, but this creature likely does not rely on them for sustenance. Perhaps we will find more lifeforms further into the jungle. Such - T'Lana@anncaris:- environments are often teeming with life, after all." Mischa@crystyl:"Indeed, we will see" --- NPC@annpc#557 | On the Valley Forge, Elder Canez beams on board to visit, materializing on the transporter pad Lendaria@crystyl stands beside the operator, ready to welcome her with a broad smile, "Eld'r Canez? Welcome aboard!" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez steps off the transporter pad, "Yes, that is me. As I suspected, your Captain was being overly humble about the state of your vessel. There is some damage, but it is still a most elegant - NPC@annpc#557:- ship." Lendaria@crystyl laughs, "Yeah, but she's a proud o'this ship like somethin' fierce. Ain't nothin' hurts a Cap'n's heart more than seein' their ship wit' any kind o'heavy damage" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "I suppose so. I hope the repairs are proceeding nicely, now?" Lendaria@crystyl:"I think so, yeah" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "That is good to hear. So, you are the...head of science here on your ship?" Lendaria@crystyl nods, "Tha's me! Chief Science Officer Lendaria, but most jus' call me Lennie" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Chief Science Officer...a similar role to Elder Yaseni, then." Lendaria@crystyl:"Oh yeah? So wha's your thing?" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "I specialize primarily in technology. Though we do not have set roles, the three Elders are generally chosen from Sisters who are more accomplished in specific fields- Yaseni in - NPC@annpc#557:- scientific studies and Hateen in history." Lendaria@crystyl:"Fair enough. So wha'brings ya to us today? I'm-a here t'help wit' wha'ever ya need" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Well, I was curious to see your vessel- and the crew on board. I was on a few scouting expeditions back when I was young, and though we examined some technology, we never contacted - NPC@annpc#557:- anyone or boarded their ships. I have never been on a Children ship before, unless you count wreckage." Lendaria@crystyl:"Ooh wow, ok then. Hmm... well sadly engineerin's off th'tour at present. Wha' with all th'work goin' on there. But if jus' as interested in th'people, ya might enjoy seein' some of our social hubs - Lendaria@crystyl:- as ya get a real flavour for all th'different kindsa folks on board there" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez nods, "It would certainly be interesting to meet them. Lead the way, Lennie." Lendaria@crystyl smiles, heading out to lead the way to ten forward Lendaria@crystyl wanders along, "So ya never been on Children ships b'fore. Ya had many dealin's wit' Children species?" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "On very rare occasions, Children species have found us, but it was always our way to clear their memory of our Sanctuary's location so they would not lead others, or even the Horde, to - NPC@annpc#557:- us. But no such encounter happened in my lifetime, and I have only observed Children species from afar on our scouting expeditions. We are a hidden Sanctuary, after all." Lendaria@crystyl:"Right! Well hopefully this'll be a welcome experience then" she smiles, heading into the lounge NPC@annpc#557 | Canez follows Lennie in, looking across the lounge, "There are so many different Children species here." Lendaria@crystyl:"Right! This's a pretty diverse crew t'be honest, 'specially as we got folks more local t'this region o'space now" Lendaria@crystyl heads over to a corner couch where there's a couch-looking space on the floor which seems to have been replaced with floor rugs for the Lupan to use NPC@annpc#557 | Canez looks to the rug, "How very considerate of you. Or was this done for the Lupan crewmember your Captain told us about?" Lendaria@crystyl:"It was! We've also met other species who ain't f'usin' chairs so figured it best t'keep a range a'options for folks!" Lendaria@crystyl:"Make yaself comfortable. We gots plenty o'refreshment or wha'ever ya fancy" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez kneels down on the rug, "I can imagine, with such a different variety among you. This is what the Progenitors always wanted, or at least, those of them who stayed true to their values." NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "I suppose in a way, even the Horde want the same thing- just a more sinister, utilitarian version. To some extent their old dreams are still there, twisted beyond recognition." Lendaria@crystyl:"Oh yeah? I can't imagine still; knowin' them so well. Not when we only recently even learned about 'em" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "I have never met one either, but we have some of their archived information. Though after listening to all the recordings we possess, it feels like I know them, even though I never - NPC@annpc#557:- conversed with a living one. I suppose unlike you, we have always known about them. Our ancestors even served them directly, many many generations ago." Lendaria@crystyl:"Yeah, that's a pretty big novelty in our eyes. Even moreso were findin' one alive! Figures he'd turn out out t'be a complete ass..." NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "The Architect is not a great representative of his people. Though in other ways, he does represent them. Unlike our fellows in the new Sisterhood, we do not revere and worship the - NPC@annpc#557:- Progenitors. We look up to them, to an extent, and we are grateful for their gifts to us. But they are not gods, and the Architect is a living example of this. They can make mistakes, lose their - NPC@annpc#557:- way, and are entirely capable of all the evils we are." Lendaria@crystyl nods, "Tha's closer t'our perspective in general" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "/Most/ of them were kind and compassionate. They are more enlightened than some Children races, but they were certainly not perfect. They were afraid of the Horde's rampage. They even - NPC@annpc#557:- considered destroying all they had created to stop the Fallen. And they were not in consensus when they created us. Many of them expressed concerns about using their knowledge of genetics to - NPC@annpc#557:- create a species bred for war, and rightly so, for over the years our brethren has been as much a scourge upon the Children as they were a boon." Lendaria@crystyl:"The same could equally be said f'plenty o'Children species too" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez nods, "But they have always hoped that their Children would one day grow beyond them, become better than they were. From what I have seen of your people, you are no less enlightened than - NPC@annpc#557:- they were. Perhaps soon, you will even surpass them." Lendaria@crystyl smiles, "s'a nice thought" and looks about the room, "So whaddaya think - seein' all these different Children t'gether?" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "It is very hopeful. I think our decision to reveal ourselves now was not a mistake. The Children have been banding together to fight the Horde under the banner of the Guardians for - NPC@annpc#557:- many generations, but the Guardians are...different from you. They are unified by their collective hate and fear. The Horde represents the worst of the Progenitors, and by extension, the worst of - NPC@annpc#557:- the Children. The Guardians fight hatred with hatred, and they can only get so far. I have not seen much of your people, but it is already apparent to me that your bond is quite the opposite and - NPC@annpc#557:- shows the best the Children have to offer. That is why we believe you will stand a chance against the Horde, where the Guardians have failed all these years." Lendaria@crystyl:"I mean... th'Guardians have done one helluva job all this time. An' they'se still helpin' now! They'se part of this Coalition y'know. So's other non-Children folks like Lupan, Torokei, th'Nuhar - Lendaria@crystyl:- Constructs o'course. Stars, we even got a sentient planet on side!" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "A sentient planet? That sounds like quite a tale." Lendaria@crystyl:"S'called Zihil. It's been interactin' wit' Children species like, forever! Time was, it were a friend o'th' Guardians, but they fell out" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Zihil...we have heard that name before on our scouting expeditions, but we did not know it was sentient. I am sure Yaseni would be interested in what you have learned of it." Lendaria@crystyl smiles, "Cap'n's already asked me t'share all our regional database wit' y'all, so it'll be in there!" Lendaria@crystyl:"Zihil's special 'cos it's generated bodies're kinda Children sized insectoids t'look at. So it uses 'em t'interact. Recently learned t'seperate 'em off which is how it were able t'help fight - Lendaria@crystyl:- th'Horde recently" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Ahh yes, the insectoids. That is why the name was familiar. We had heard of them, but we did not know they were created by the planet, and that the planet was sentient. We look forward - NPC@annpc#557:- to examining all your data in detail." Lendaria@crystyl:"Yeah, we think it's stayed hidden f'a long time until we came along" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez: "Very interesting. What of this Lupan crewmember? Would it be possible to meet him?" Lendaria@crystyl:"I see no reason why not. Want me t'see if he's available?" NPC@annpc#557 | Canez nods, "That will be appreciated. Thank you, Lennie." Lendaria@crystyl steps away briefly to comm Azatul NPC@annpc#557 | Azatul confirms he is indeed available! --- T'Lana@anncaris:| On the Sphere, the infiltration team makes their way through the jungle, indeed detecting a large variety of different lifeforms within. It seems the serpent was not the only poisonous one, - T'Lana@anncaris:- though it was certainly the most venomous T'Lana@anncaris:| Soon, the jungle around them begins to thin as the technological spires beyond begin to come into view between the trees T'Lana@anncaris:"We are close to our destination. Hopefully, we will be able to secure some means of transport to other regions of the Sphere." Mia@crystyl:"We deem it highly probable" T'Lana@anncaris:begins to approach, but quickly ducks behind cover as she spots several drones flying by further amid the spires T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia's sensors detect that they are identical models to several found on the Waystation and are not equipped with energy beams, nor have any capacity for damage Mia@crystyl:"These are non combat models Ms. T'Lana" T'Lana@anncaris:"There is still a chance that the Architect may be able to access their sensory data and learn of our presence here." T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia's sensors also detect the area beyond is quite filled with drones, and it would be almost impossible to stay away from them Mia@crystyl:"If he is, then we are not crossing the area ahead without him noticing..." T'Lana@anncaris:"Is there any other technological areas on the sensor data nearby?" Mia@crystyl:shakes her head, "Non, we are afraid this is the only area within scanning range" T'Lana@anncaris:"It is possible he does not have control over every drone in the Sphere, or that he does not monitor data from everywhere. Entering will still be a risk, but this may be our best chance of finding - T'Lana@anncaris:- means to move more expediently across the Sphere," she looks to Mischa. "How shall we proceed, Commander?" Mia@crystyl:| Mischa thinks, "What about the structures themselves - can we limit our exposure by moving through those instead?" T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia's sensors reveal that there are drones inside the structures as well, but all the ones she can detect seem to be non-combat variants Mia@crystyl:"There are drones within them as well. Those we can detect from here are non-combat models also, but our scanning range is limited" Mia@crystyl:| Mischa: "We would have a better chance of limiting our exposure indoors, even if we do encounter combat models. Let's make for cover" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "I see an entrance around the corner. Once the drones here are out of range, we should be able to enter." Mia@crystyl:| Mischa: "Then let us wait for the opportune moment" T'Lana@anncaris:| A few minutes later, the area is clear of drones... Mia@crystyl:| Mischa waves her hand, "Alright, let's move" T'Lana@anncaris:leaves cover, quickly heading for the entrance she spotted Mia@crystyl:hovers along, staying low and close to the group while scanning for activity T'Lana@anncaris:| They enter what seems like a greenhouse or perhaps a botanical lab, with shelves of different plants. Mia detects drones inside that hover from level to level, appearing to be tending to the - T'Lana@anncaris:- various plants Mia@crystyl:tries to detect any active communication signals to/from the drones T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia picks up an active connection to a central source somewhere in the centre of this technological area. It doesn't seem to be communication signals, more a permanent link like a probe to the - T'Lana@anncaris:- ship, constantly providing data and receiving instructions Mia@crystyl:"They appear to be functioning with a live datastream" T'Lana@anncaris:"Where are they sending the data to?" Mia@crystyl:"Uncertain. But the source appears to be central to this developed area" T'Lana@anncaris:"Interesting. Perhaps there is a system or AI at the centre that presides over this region." Mia@crystyl:"That would stand to reason. Activation of the sphere functionality likely reinitiated many maintenance protocols that would operate in this fashion" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "The question is whether this particular system or intelligence is now under the control of the Architect, or simply performing its routine functions from a set program." Mia@crystyl:"We are not able to tell at present. But find it... unlikely that the Architect would but expending resources consciously on watering plants in a greenhouse" T'Lana@anncaris:"A logical assumption. This area is likely not high on his priorities. Perhaps if we can reach the central area, we may be able to determine whether he has any influence here, but for the moment, - T'Lana@anncaris:- it may be safer to avoid the drones." Mia@crystyl:"We may also be able to gain access into the datalink. The only other way will require interfering with one of the drones" T'Lana@anncaris:"It is worth attempting. Be careful, and try not to draw attention to your presence." Mia@crystyl:"To confirm; do you want us to break off and search for the central datalink, or attempt to breach one of the drone's receivers?" T'Lana@anncaris:"Interfacing may be more risky. See if you can locate the central datalink." Mia@crystyl:"Very well. We shall alert you through comms should we find anything!" with that she ripples out of view and Miadrone promptly whooshes away T'Lana@anncaris:| Moving across the area, Mia is soon able to locate the central datalink in the predictably central and tallest spire Mia@crystyl:<C> We have located the central datalink. Analyzing access ports now T'Lana@anncaris:| As a drone, she is easily able to enter the spire through the many different vents. Inside, it does not take long for her to locate a suitable access port... Mia@crystyl:<C> Analysis complete. We shall attempt to access the datalink. Stand by.. T'Lana@anncaris:| Accessing the datalink, Mia definitely detects an intelligence beyond. It begins to communicate with her through the connection... T'Lana@anncaris:| Intelligence: "Unidentified unit detected. Provide identification." Mia@crystyl:"Allo! We are Mia" T'Lana@anncaris:| Intelligence: "This unit is not familiar with a model or unit possessing this identification. Please specify." Mia@crystyl:"Oh dear, it is worse than we thought! Mia is a system administrator. We detected anomalous memory blocks within this units operating systems and came to investigate" T'Lana@anncaris:| Intelligence: "This unit did not recognize Mia's authorization. Perhaps the memory blocks are interfering?" Mia@crystyl:"This is indeed our concern! Fear not, this is why Mia is in attendance" T'Lana@anncaris:| Intelligence: "Very well. Granting access." Mia@crystyl:uses said access to implant appropriate system admin authority for herself in a 'missing' memory block T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia's familiarity with Nuhar code allows her to quite easily implant the admin authority, granting her complete access to the intelligence's programming and data! It does not seem to be connected - T'Lana@anncaris:- to the control station in any way and instead answers to another AI known as the Superintendent. This particular unit is designated Custodian-36 and its function is the maintenance of the - T'Lana@anncaris:- surrounding environments T'Lana@anncaris:| Custodian: "Administrator authorization recognized." Mia@crystyl:"Custodian-36's memory block has been defragmented. How are you feeling now?" T'Lana@anncaris:| Custodian: "All systems are functioning optimally. Primary task must be performed. Ecosystems have achieved some degree of natural balance, but current estimates indicate a 27.4% loss in - T'Lana@anncaris:- biodiversity over the last 200,000 years while natural balancing occured. Preservation of remaining biodiversity must be prioritized." Mia@crystyl:"That is consistent with Superintendent data, very good Custodian-36! Now we shall perform a diagnostic on your sensor feeds to ensure validity of captured progress data" T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia manages to tap into the sensor feed of the Custodian, which includes the sensor feeds of every drone in the area, going even beyond to mountains to the region where the team first appeared on - T'Lana@anncaris:- the sphere Mia@crystyl:checks to see if it is able to detect the team at all T'Lana@anncaris:| The team does not appear to be within the range of any drones any the moment Mia@crystyl:repositions drones in order to run the test T'Lana@anncaris:| The drones do not seem to be able to detect the team on sensors due to the use of bio-dampeners. However, they do have visual feeds which can pick up the team Mia@crystyl:"Oh dear Custodian-36! You appear to have degradation in your visual processors. We are highlighting anomalous strings for you so you can disregard from all feeds" T'Lana@anncaris:| Custodian: "Understood. I will disregard these strings from now on." Mia@crystyl:"Very good. You can verify the anomalies with biosignature scans if the visual processors fall further out of alignment" T'Lana@anncaris:| Custodian: "Understood. Does Mia detect any other errors that require correcting?" Mia@crystyl:"None at present. But Mia will maintain an active link to Custodian-36 while transiting the area so any potential anomalies can be analyzed" T'Lana@anncaris:| Custodian: "That is acceptable. Please notify this unit if any abnormalities are detected in the surrounding ecosystems as well." Mia@crystyl:"We will do so! Good luck with your duties Custodian-36, we must depart now" T'Lana@anncaris:| Custodian: "Thank you for your assistance, Mia." Mia@crystyl:disengages from the Custodian and comms the team. About 3 seconds after her last comm as it turns out in real time... Mia@crystyl:<C> Success ladies! You are all now invisible to the Custodian running all of the drones in this area and may move freely T'Lana@anncaris:<C> Excellent work, Mia. Let us regroup and attempt to locate means of transportation Mia@crystyl:<C> We are returning to your position T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia finds T'Lana and the rest of the team still within the building she left them at T'Lana@anncaris:"My scans have detected what may be a transporter in a surrounding structure." Mia@crystyl:"We are ready to proceed" T'Lana@anncaris:nods, "This way." She steps out of the building, leading the way. "How did you manage to render us invisible? Did you hack into this Custodian's systems?" Mia@crystyl:"We obtained system administration rights and then convinced the Custodian that it was suffering system degradation. By making it acknowledge your presence on a visual feed, then cross verifying - Mia@crystyl:- sensor readings for biosignatures, it saw that the visual feed was in error" T'Lana@anncaris:"Very clever, Mia. Even if we move into visual range of the drones now, the Custodian will believe it is a visual error?" Mia@crystyl:"Oui! Furthermore, we are maintaining an active datalink of our own to the Custodian now so can intercept any query signals it receives" T'Lana@anncaris:"That will no doubt come in useful. Your expertise on Nuhar AI and technology is invaluable indeed." Mia@crystyl:beams proudly, "Thank you Ms. T'Lana!" T'Lana@anncaris:| Before long, they reach the reading T'Lana detected. At least visually, it looks like a transporter pad with a console beside it Mia@crystyl:sees if she can interface with it to select destinations and control the unit T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia can indeed interface with it, but it seems the only available destinations are other Custodian facilities, and the Superintendent facility. Inputting manual coordinates does not seem to be a - T'Lana@anncaris:- function, at least not without significant modification to the device Mia@crystyl:"As suspected, it is limited to fixed destination of the other Custodian sites and the Superintendent" T'Lana@anncaris:"The Superintendent? What is that?" Mia@crystyl:"It is the next tier Ai which coordinates all of the Custodians in this area" T'Lana@anncaris:"Do we know where it is located?" Mia@crystyl:"Unfortunately not. We shall attempt to ascertain this information from the Custodian" T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia manages to ascertain that the Superintendent is one of the orbital facilities. It can adjust its orbit, but it is normally and currently located close to the Sphere surface Mia@crystyl:relays this to the team T'Lana@anncaris:"A low-orbit facility is at least a step up, and we may be more likely to find transportation there than anywhere else. The other Custodian facilities most likely have similar facilities, including - T'Lana@anncaris:- transporters linked to one another and this Superintendent, but not elsewhere, not to mention that we are still at risk of being spotted should we travel to the purview of a different Custodian.” T'Lana@anncaris:"The same risk applies for the Superintendent facility, but there is a greater chance of gain from the risk taken," she looks to Mischa Mia@crystyl:"Agreed. We will setup a transport to the Superintendent facility then" Mia@crystyl:| Mischa nods, "Go for it Mia" T'Lana@anncaris:| Mia manages to set up the transport without incident! The pad is small, and only allows one person to transport at once, however Mia@crystyl:| Mischa steps up to go first T'Lana@anncaris:| She disappears into a transporter beam... --- Keliaya@anncaris | Almost four days after arriving at the Sanctuary, the Valley Forge's hull is repaired again, and the Lupan scout ship had returned to comms range not long after, with TQ reporting her - Keliaya@anncaris - findings to Keelah. QanwI's repairs are complete as well thanks to being able to land at the facilities on the Sanctuary's surface, and before they depart, the senior staff hold another - Keliaya@anncaris - meeting to decide the next course of action... Keelah@crystyl:"So the scout mission has confirmed our suspicions; one of the cloaked Horde scout ships we were told about seems to be targeting our comms network to keep us from calling reinforcements no doubt" Keliaya@anncaris | Vrolmacht nods, "The Architect was still calling in reinforcements when we were leaving the Sphere. He must need more time to rally his forces and is doing all he can to prevent the Coalition - Keliaya@anncaris:- from coming to the Sphere before he has enough ships to defend himself." Keelah@crystyl:"That would certainly seem to be the case. The question is, how do we proceed?" Keliaya@anncaris:"We still have the Observer and her ship. She can take us back to Vue-En and we can warn them in person. But without the comm buoys, if the Latenter needs help, they won't be able to reach us." Keelah@crystyl:"Then we send the Observer back alone" Keliaya@anncaris | Vrolmacht: "What about us? What should we do in the meantime?" Keelah@crystyl:"We can continue our repairs and perhaps see what we can do with this data our Lupan friends kindly provided" Keliaya@anncaris:"The Guardian Command Post. It's about a week away from the Iconian arms factory, which puts it at a good month away from here and probably just out of range of comms. It's not exactly the Ring, - Keliaya@anncaris:- but it has the facilities we need to finish our repairs. All we need to do is drop one more buoy between them and the Sphere and we should have clear contact with the Latenter from there as well." Keelah@crystyl:"Sounds reasonable. So; dispatch the Observer, divert to drop a new buoy, then head to the Guardian Command Post and complete repairs. Anything else?" Keliaya@anncaris shakes her head, "Our warp and impulse engines are all fully operational, so we should be able to travel at higher warp and hopefully cut some time off our journey to the Command Post. We'll fix - Keliaya@anncaris:- everything we can in the meantime, and take a look at this data the Lupan gave us." Keliaya@anncaris | Kazra: "Should one of us go with the Observer, to represent the Valley Forge at the Coalition?" Keelah@crystyl:"That probably wouldn't be a bad idea" she nods Keliaya@anncaris:"Who do you think could make a good representative, that we can spare right now?" Keelah@crystyl hrms, "Sparing anyone is a challenge right now... Recommendations?" Keliaya@anncaris thinks, "Mia's already on a mission. Lennie is a good candidate, but we need our Chief Science Officer here...Emma, perhaps? She has command experience, and while she would be helpful with - Keliaya@anncaris:- repairs, I can spare her." Keelah@crystyl:"I can see that working. Any other suggestions before we commit?" Keelah@crystyl looks around the room to be certain Keliaya@anncaris | Kazra: "Can the Observer also help us deploy comm relays? Or do we need to be present to configure them?" Keelah@crystyl:"She may be able to fit one on that ship of hers, not enough to completely replace the broken network. So even if we could fully configure them ahead of deployment it would take a few trips" Keelah@crystyl:"Perhaps something we can look at upon her return" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Certainly an option to help repair our comms network. The buoys are small and not easy to find on long-range sensors. I suspect the Architect knew where to target from our memories, but - Keliaya@anncaris:- he won't have that advantage for any new ones we deploy." Keelah@crystyl:"We'll have them deploy the first new buoy on this outbound trip then. Pick a new location within comfortable distance of our journey to the Guardian outpost. We'll use that one to verify the - Keelah@crystyl:- pre-calibration before sending any further afield" Keliaya@anncaris:"Good thinking, Captain." Keliaya@anncaris | Kazra: "Well, that's all the ideas I have." Keelah@crystyl:"I think we've got a plan. Let's get it into motion" Keliaya@anncaris | Vrolmacht nods, "Aye Captain."