ST:TTV719 | "Aethon Pt. I"

Stardate 98579.1

When the Valley Forge tries to take the Horde's advanced stealth ship back to the Coalition, they trigger a trap set by the Architect, leaving a skeleton crew headed by Rianni stranded in the middle of a dangerous region with a precarious fuel supply.

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NPC@annpc#557 FX | After a few days of waiting, the light had gotten dimmer and dimmer inside the cocoon until it is now completely dark. On one of her waits, Sin sits quietly when the cocoon begins to unravel Sin@crystyl looks up from a surprisingly meditative stance NPC@annpc#557 | The tendrils draw back, slowly retreating into a dark void like the one Ketkolep emerged from. In the centre of the cocoon is the thunderbolt, now no longer glowing and about the size of a - NPC@annpc#557 - sword instead of being expanded to reach up to the ceiling Sin@crystyl slowly rises to her feet, "Ketkolep...?" NPC@annpc#557 | The tendrils all disappear, leaving just the void. A leg emerges from the void, then the rest of Ketkolep's bipedal form as he steps into view, picking up the thunderbolt, "It is done." Sin@crystyl:"How are you doing?" Sin@crystyl did indeed show concern for a fellow lifeform before personal gains. She's a complicated person... NPC@annpc#557 | Ketkolep: "I have recovered a significant amount of power, enough to sustain me to travel for a short time longer before the end of this universe. Thank you for all you have done, Sin." NPC@annpc#557 | Ketkolep smiles, stepping forward and presenting the thunderbolt to her Sin@crystyl tentatively accepts it into her hands, studying it closely Sin@crystyl:"I hope your idea of a 'short time' is still many many lifetimes by our measure. Well, by that of the average Children. Just about everyone lives many many Ocampa lifetimes" NPC@annpc#557 | The thunderbolt does absolutely nothing. It doesn't disintegrate Sin, it doesn't even zap her, nor does it seem to have any power she is able to tap into Sin@crystyl:"This is certainly a lot tamer than when we first encountered it. I take it your resculpting went as planned?" NPC@annpc#557 | Ketkolep nods, "It is only a shell now, but still the same shell that once contained the weapon wielded by Zeus. As it has no power remaining within, there is no need to seal it away under - NPC@annpc#557 - the silverblood's protection here. I suspect your Captain would prefer to take it home so it may be displayed somewhere for its cultural significance." Sin@crystyl:"I bet she would" NPC@annpc#557 | Ketkolep: "The thunderbolt is little more than a historical relic now. I promised you something practical to aid you in your conflict." He spreads his hands and a golden chain forms across his - NPC@annpc#557 - palms, with a large red amulet in the centre NPC@annpc#557 FX | https://i.imgur.com/7YnbEux.jpg Sin@crystyl ooh's, "Fancy!" NPC@annpc#557 | Ketkolep: "This will draw out your inner potential. If I am not mistaken, the effect will be similar to what you experienced on Belyia, though perhaps not to such a potent degree. One does not - NPC@annpc#557:- need any existing telepathic or telekinetic power to utilize it. In fact, the greater your power is, the less potent the amulet will be. When you have tapped into your full potential, you will - NPC@annpc#557:- have no use for the amulet. But you are not there yet, and this amulet will aid you until then." Sin@crystyl:"Remarkable" NPC@annpc#557 | Ketkolep: "Do not return the amulet to me when you are finished with it. Find someone worthy, and pass it on to them. You will need it in the times to come." Sin@crystyl nods, "I understand. So what's next, you staying with us a while until we find a place for you to call home or are you making your own way?" NPC@annpc#557 | Ketkolep: "I will stay here for a time in the company of the silverblood Hades and their other forms. Then, I shall make my own way to the places you have suggested to me. Go now, you have a - NPC@annpc#557:- trial to pass. Do not worry, I will manage from here," he smiles, "and this will not be our last meeting." Sin@crystyl coils the amulet carefully in her hand and nods, "Thank you again. And you're only getting away with a simple goodbye because I'm holding you to that 'see you again' line" she smiles a little,- Sin@crystyl:- turning and heading out --- Keliaya@anncaris | A few minutes later on the VF bridge... Keliaya@anncaris | Vrolmacht: "Sin has returned to the ship with the gift Ketkolep promised. Our silverblood guests are preparing to return to the planet now, and we should be set to depart once they have beamed - Keliaya@anncaris - away." Keliaya@anncaris | Thorkildsen: "Kelly's still on the stealth ship, but its systems are fully online and ready to go now as well." Keelah@crystyl nods, "Very good" Keliaya@anncaris | Vrolmacht: "Should I tell the Observer to prepare to launch the wormhole vessel to bring us back?" Keelah@crystyl:"Yes, get her in position. Mr. Fisher, please verify the jump details with the stealth ship and make sure they have everything aligned with our navigation" Keliaya@anncaris | Fisher nods, "On it." Keliaya@anncaris | TQ: "Kelly's hailing us from the stealth ship now, Captain." Keelah@crystyl:"Patch her through" Keliaya@anncaris appears on the viewscreen, "Getting ready to head back now, I see. Want me to continue supervising things here until we're back in the Sphere, or should I return to the Valley Forge?" Keelah@crystyl shakes her head, "Wrap it up and hand over to the skeleton crew" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Got it. Thorkildsen, do a last minute check to make sure the radiation hasn't affected anything. Forge's been raising and lowering shield windows for transports to the surface more than - Keliaya@anncaris - I'm comfortable with." Keliaya@anncaris | Thorkildsen: "I'll have it done before you get back, Commander." Keliaya@anncaris:"Good. I'll see you back on board, then." Keelah@crystyl:"Take as long as you need" --- Keliaya@anncaris | The camera pans over the stealth ship... Keliaya@anncaris FX | https://i.imgur.com/QMhx0FY.jpg Keliaya@anncaris ...before zooming into the small bridge, where Kelly awaits Rianni as she steps inside Rianni@crystyl walks in, jostling through an armful of PADD's and mumbling to herself Keliaya@anncaris:"Captain wants me back on the Valley Forge, so the bridge is yours, Rianni." Keliaya@anncaris chuckles at the mumbling Rianni, "Need any help with that?" Rianni@crystyl looks up with a start, then around, "Oh. I'm on the bridge! Well that's a timesaver" she chuckles nervously Keliaya@anncaris:"Yes, the layout of this ship takes some getting used to. It's a very practical design, built for maximum efficiency rather than comfort or ease of navigation. Would've thought the Horde built it - Keliaya@anncaris - themselves if not for details like this," she pats the Captain's chair. "Or maybe the Architect just put this in to stoke his own ego." Rianni@crystyl:"Oh yes, it's quite the ingenious little layout really. I memorized it all when we first came on board!" Keliaya@anncaris smiles, "Just nervous about taking command, then?" Rianni@crystyl:"Me? Nervous? Hehe... Noooo, what makes you think that?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma eyerolls at the worst acting she's ever seen Keliaya@anncaris chuckles, "You don't have to worry about admitting it. We've all been there- every officer's had their first time taking command, and I bet each of them was at least a little nervous at the - Keliaya@anncaris - prospect, even the best Captains in the fleet!" Rianni@crystyl:"I don't get why it feels like such a big deal. I mean, I've commanded on our bridge before" Keliaya@anncaris:"It's not quite the same. On our bridge, you're more just keeping watch, making sure everything goes well. If something unexpected happens, you always call Keelah and she's there to make all the - Keliaya@anncaris:- important decisions in a minute. Here, well, Keelah's still on the Valley Forge not far away and she's still commanding you, but in more of a fleet commander way. This is your bridge, you decide - Keliaya@anncaris:- exactly what your ship does and Keelah's just positioning the bigger picture, like you do in the command hub." Rianni@crystyl:"Yeah, you're right of course" she takes a deep breath, "Alright Commander, let's do this!" Keliaya@anncaris smiles and pats Rianni on the shoulder, "Don't worry, all you're doing is taking the ship through the wormhole, and then probably docking it with a Foundry facility or something. Nothing you - Keliaya@anncaris:- probably haven't done in an Academy training cruise before. You'll do fine." Rianni@crystyl:"Nothing fancier than the average nightshift babysitting our bridge!" she smiles with renewed confidence, "Thank you Commander" Keliaya@anncaris:"I'll see you back on the Valley Forge soon, Rianni." She begins stepping away before glancing to Emma, "Oh, and make sure all the stealth systems are off before we go through the wormhole. We - Keliaya@anncaris:- don't fully understand Junayd wormhole technology yet or all the functions this ship has, but there's a lot of intricacies with tachyon and tetryon emissions that could interact with subspace." Rianni@crystyl | Emma nods, "You don't need to warn me about the dangers of messing with subspace. Everything checks out and nobody has been near the systems since you closed off the final inspection" Keliaya@anncaris nods back, "Good. Safe journey, everyone." She heads off the bridge Rianni@crystyl watches Kelly leave and turns to Emma, "Ok. How's everything looking here?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma nods, "All core systems are online and we're ready to disembark... Captain" she smirks a little, unable to resist Rianni@crystyl:"..." Rianni@crystyl | Emma gives her hand a squeeze, "You've got this" Rianni@crystyl squeezes back, "C'Sera, are our engines ready to match the Valley Forge through the wormhole?" Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera: "That they are. This is one fast little ship. It's stalked us all the way to the planet here, after all." Rianni@crystyl nods and moves towards the front, "Ann, are we ready to make the jump?" Ann Carter@anncaris:"Aye Ri- Cap'n" she grins. "Looks like the other you's gettin' into place too," she watches on the viewscreen as the Observer's ship moves into place in front of the VF Rianni@crystyl:"Ok, form up on the Valley Forge's wing. Emma, signal them that we are ready to follow" Rianni@crystyl | Emma nods, "You know it's going to be a mighty long trip to just stand there..." Rianni@crystyl twists her lip, eyeing the chair before approaching and slowly lowering herself into it Ann Carter@anncaris glances back as the stealth ship forms up and waits there, "Now ya look like a proper Cap'n!" Rianni@crystyl:"I think I'm a few pips short, but I appreciate the sentiment" she shifts awkwardly in the chair, "I don't think this thing was made with Human ergonomics in mind..." Ann Carter@anncaris chuckles, "Maybe ya'll get used to the chair with time. I wasn't used to the chairs designed /for/ Humans on Starfleet ships at first. Never sat on somethin' so comfy in my life before!" Rianni@crystyl smiles at that Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "Yeah, it's like breaking in a set of new boots!" Ann Carter@anncaris | On the viewscreen, the wormhole opens up and the Observer's ship disappears inside first while the VF begins moving towards it Ann Carter@anncaris:"Looks like it's time to get goin'." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Match course and speed" Ann Carter@anncaris nods, tapping her console, "Matchin' course an' speed." Rianni@crystyl:"Emma, we need to maintain level 2 diagnostic observations on all systems in case of a y anomalies C'Sera, that goes doubly so for engines and power" Ann Carter@anncaris | VF enters the wormhole, then QanwI' and the stealth ship Ann Carter@anncaris | C’Sera nods, "Understood, I won't take my eyes off the power levels." Rianni@crystyl watches as they follow the other ships Ann Carter@anncaris | The ship flies smoothly through the wormhole for a few minutes... Rianni@crystyl | Which is just long enough for Rianni to stop holding her breath and at least start to relax Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera: "Engine power levels are stable. We should be able to keep pace with the Valley Forge perfectly fine for the rest of the trip." Ann Carter@anncaris | Suddenly, Emma begins to read tachyon output coming from the stealth generators on the hull! Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "What?! The stealth generators are outputting!" Rianni@crystyl turns, "A reaction to the wormhole?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "It looks like the wormhole energy has triggered an underlying protocol within the stealth drive" Rianni@crystyl:"Can you shut it down?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma tries to do so Ann Carter@anncaris | Meanwhile, the bridge begins to shake... Ann Carter@anncaris:"Somethin's happenin' with the wormhole!" Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "Working on it, but there's a lot of unfamiliar protocols here. I'm not Mia..." Rianni@crystyl:"Vusal, signal the Valley Forge that we have an escalating situation" Rianni@crystyl:"Ann, what is this reaction doing to the wormhole, can you tell?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods, "Yes Captain," he taps away on his console Ann Carter@anncaris:"I'm not Lennie, but I think it's tryin' to push us out..." Rianni@crystyl:"C'Sera, can we compensate?" Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera shakes her head, "It's not an engine matter, it's a subspace physics matter..." Ann Carter@anncaris | The viewscreen lights up as the VF grabs the stealth ship in a tractor beam. They are held still for a few moments before they see a flash at the tractor beam's origin as the beam overloads, - Ann Carter@anncaris:- then the wormhole disappears and the viewscreen is replaced with a field of stars... Ann Carter@anncaris:"We've dropped out into regular space." Rianni@crystyl looks around, eyeballs still rattling in her head, "I think we left my stomach behind..." shakes her head, "Status. Is everyone ok?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "No injuries or damage, Captain." Rianni@crystyl nods, "That's a start. System status?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "Looks like it was a hidden anti-theft measure. A little present left behind by the Horde just for us it seems as it was designed to react with a Junayd wormhole" Rianni@crystyl groans, "I'm beginning to see why the Captain hates this guy so much..." Rianni@crystyl:"Best send an update to the Valley Forge; let them know that we've narrowed it down" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "Systems are all online. However, there is a problem. None of the other ships have been ejected from the wormhole with us. The Valley Forge is not in range." Rianni@crystyl turns, "None of them?" looking to the front, "Damned wormholes, every time..." she mutters Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal shakes his head, "There are no known comm buoys in this region. We cannot contact the Coalition in the Sphere." Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "Your orders Captain?" Rianni@crystyl:"What exactly is our current position relative to the nearest comm buoy?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "The nearest comm buoy is the one set up by the Sphere near the Lupan Sanctuary." Ann Carter@anncaris:"Tha's two months away at normal warp speeds! One month before we get into range, at least." Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "And we have enough fuel for two weeks at warp." Rianni@crystyl:"How far off course from the wormhole's trajectory will that take us?" Ann Carter@anncaris shakes her head, "Not much, we're far enough away tha' the Sphere an' nearest comm buoy's in the same general direction." Rianni@crystyl:"What about the Silverblood planet, how far are we from there?” Ann Carter@anncaris:"Two months an' one week, give or take a few days. Damn protocol must've been designed to kick in halfway through our trip." Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera: "We might be better off waiting here. The Valley Forge's tracked wormholes before. They'll be back in no time." Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "The Valley Forge can only track the wormhole back to its other terminus. We were ejected halfway through." Rianni@crystyl:"There is also the Kratt ship we were there with. They could be making their way along this route behind us" Ann Carter@anncaris taps her console and shakes her head, "They warped off in the direction o' the planet where they came from- where we took down the shield ship. Don't think they got any intention o' followin' us." Ann Carter@anncaris:"Left as we were enterin' the wormhole, so our sensors caught their trajectory." Rianni@crystyl:"Alright then, we follow the wormhole trajectory. C'Sera, cut all non-essential power. Ann, you will have to use your judgement to find this ship's optimum cruising speed" Ann Carter@anncaris nods, "Aye Cap'n." Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "As we may need to crew this ship for some time, might I suggest assigning someone to a tactical station, in the case that we will need to defend ourselves or utilize the cloaking - Ann Carter@anncaris - capabilities to avoid danger. You are the commanding officer now, and it will be more efficient to designate another to operate tactical on a regular basis." Rianni@crystyl nods, "We will do so, but first I want to take stock of our situation. Will you and Emma please organize everyone together to perform a full inventory and relocate all essential supplies to - Rianni@crystyl:- this deck and the one below. We will seal off all others areas of the ship and leave only a direct route to engineering. Those sealed sections can have atmosphere drained and environmental shut - Rianni@crystyl:- down as well in order to extend our reserves further. We will contain ourselves to limited living arrangements on these two decks for now. Once we have full stock of our situation, I would like - Rianni@crystyl:- gather everyone here for a review of the situation, at which time we will address variable roles" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods, "Understood, Captain." He sends the comm to rally the crew before stepping off to begin Rianni@crystyl | Emma steps over to Rianni, smiling proudly and sets a hand on her shoulder, "As you say, Captain. We'll return with everyone as soon as the lockdown is complete. Don't worry, we've got this" Rianni@crystyl smiles a little and nods Ann Carter@anncaris taps away on her console, "Course set to follow the wormhole trajectory. Ready to warp out on your command." She looks to Rianni Rianni@crystyl nods to Ann, "Engage but ramp the engines up slowly. We can't assume that was the only trap left for us. At the first sign of trouble you'll have to drop back to sublight and possibly disengage the- Rianni@crystyl:- warp drive completely" Ann Carter@anncaris nods, "Got it.” Ann Carter@anncaris | On the viewscreen, the stars stretch into streaks as the stealth ship jumps to low warp... --- Keliaya@anncaris | On the Valley Forge, the tractor beam overloads, causing a slight rumble on the bridge as the stealth ship disappears through the edge of the wormhole and drops from Lennie's sensors... Keelah@crystyl:"Status?" Keelah@crystyl | Lennie: "Th'stealth ship's gone!" Keelah@crystyl:"Hail the Observer, we need to exit the wormhole immediately" Keelah@crystyl | TQ nods, already on a commlink to her since the problems started Keliaya@anncaris glances to Keelah, "I don't think that's possible, Captain. We /could/ force ourselves out of the wormhole partway through, but that would leave all our ships scattered across lightyears of - Keliaya@anncaris:- deep space." Keelah@crystyl | TQ: "The Observer reports that she is unable to pre-emptively disrupt the wormhole. She says that... that forcing a ship out of the wormhole prematurely is too dangerous..." Keelah@crystyl looks between the two, "Well we can't just sit here! How long until the planned aperture?" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "Also that...our best course would be to follow the wormhole to its terminus and then generate another one to come back." Keliaya@anncaris | Fisher: "Seven minutes, Captain.” Keelah@crystyl sighs, "Then we have no choice but to wait. How closely can we approximate their likely position?" Keliaya@anncaris:"I can get an estimate within 25 light years." Keliaya@anncaris | Fisher: "That's still almost the distance of an entire sector diagonally..." Keelah@crystyl:"That is a very big region of space to search" Keliaya@anncaris sighs, "And it doesn't get better. That ship is a dedicated stealth vessel. The hull plating is designed to block sensor scans, so even when it's not cloaked, it's still very difficult to - Keliaya@anncaris:- pick up at long range." Keelah@crystyl:"Have the Observer ready to make an immediate return trip to the nearest edge of that search area. We will execute the linear piggyback search pattern from there" Keliaya@anncaris | TQ taps away, relaying the instructions to the Observer Keelah@crystyl:"Kelly, we'll need the primary core up to maximum output ready for when we arrive. Once we start our run, that will give you 8 hours to get the secondary core up to the same level ready to switch - Keelah@crystyl:- out. 8 on - 8 off, we should be able to maintain a higher cruise speed for our search legs" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "On it, Captain." Keelah@crystyl:"Vrolmacht, plot out the search points based on the preset pattern. We'll take the first leg while the Observer jumps QanwI' to the second. The same 8 hour windows should allow the Observer time to - Keelah@crystyl:- travel back to us, refuel and piggyback us onto the next leg ahead of QanwI'. We'll have to coordinate with both ships tightly to maintain a fixed pattern outside of communication range" Keliaya@anncaris | Vrolmacht: "I will make sure our coordination is flawless." Keelah@crystyl:"At these speeds we won't be able to use small craft to extend our search radius. But we might be able to send them out in batches with QanwI' that can work their way backwards towards us too" Keliaya@anncaris | Fisher nods, "Good thinking. The runabouts at least should be helpful, since they're capable of longer journeys and higher speeds." Keelah@crystyl:"That will require even more coordination though, but we can use the more capable small craft in a wave formation. Set them up at the extremes of their own comm ranges to widen the field as far as - Keelah@crystyl:- possible. But with so many ships operating outside of sensor range we'll have a hard time keeping track and can not afford any deviation to flight plans" Keliaya@anncaris | Vrolmacht: "I will make clear that they are not to deviate from the plans." Keelah@crystyl:"With this established pattern, how long will it take us to conduct a systematic search of the target area?" Keliaya@anncaris | Fisher: "About twelve days, assuming they're either still or don't venture too far off the wormhole's trajectory." Keliaya@anncaris:"When I left the ship, it should have enough fuel to sustain them for that long if they don't use up any high energy systems like the cloak." Keelah@crystyl:"They have their Starfleet training, and I put my faith in Rianni. She will not let us down" Keliaya@anncaris nods, "She'll know to conserve power, and make themselves as easy for us to find as they can." --- Ann Carter@anncaris | With the lack of a conference room on the small stealth ship, the crew gathers in the mess hall once the organization is done. Half the space has already been setup into a makeshift sleeping - Ann Carter@anncaris - area, with the tables combined together to form one long rectangular, cafeteria-style table in the other half of the room Rianni@crystyl walks in, smiling at the results of the teams efforts, "Wow you guys have made short work of sorting this place out. Great job!" Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera smiles back, "Thank you, Captain." Ann Carter@anncaris | Hurdan: "Couldn't have done it without Vusal and Rasnik. These two are /strong/." Rianni@crystyl:"And that brings us nicely into our reason for gathering here now. Come on, it's been a rough few hours so let's take the weight off and catch up with ourselves" she takes a seat at the table Ann Carter@anncaris and the others join her at the table Ann Carter@anncaris | Hurdan: "This is certainly a situation we didn't expect, but hey, that's what Starfleet trains us for, isn't it?" Rianni@crystyl nods, "Exactly. It's not the mission you all signed up for, but it's one that we're perfectly capable of seeing through. As it stands we believe we have optimized our cruising speed and taken every- Rianni@crystyl:- foreseeable measure to optimize our power consumption, part of which is why we are isolating ourselves to just this area, the bridge, and engineering. That said, do we have an updated forecast on - Rianni@crystyl:- long our reserves will last?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Lao: "If we keep up this level of power use, sixteen days, but a safer estimate might be fourteen or fifteen. We're likely to have some power consumption we don't expect over the course of two - Ann Carter@anncaris - weeks. I just hope it won't be too much." Rianni@crystyl nods, "All the more reason we must be prudent with what we have. On that note, how did we fair with provisions and supplies?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "Unfortunately, this vessel seems to lack a stock of many provisions while under Horde control. We have what we brought over and have been using throughout the repair efforts, but that - Ann Carter@anncaris - will only sustain us for several days. Beyond that, we will need to utilize the replicators- power costs which we have factored into our calculations." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Better than it could have been, so I'll take that as a win. I've been running some calculations on a projected search pattern and estimate 2 weeks for them to find us" looking to Vusal, - Rianni@crystyl:- "And forgive my ignorance Ensign, but you are Vulcan..." Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods, "That is correct." Rianni@crystyl:"And you are an engineer" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "I am officially the ranking engineer present, though Chief Lao and Ensign Ralde possess superior experience." Rianni@crystyl:"Superior experience, but not superior logic. I do mean to make assumptions of you, but those two factors alone make you the most likely person at this table to verify my numbers - again please - Rianni@crystyl:- forgive the ignorance of my assumption and do correct me if it is in error" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "May I have a look at your calculations?" Rianni@crystyl slides a PADD over to him as she explains, "Since bringing the Observer and her ship onto the mission we have been writing them into various scenarios, including SAR missions. Now, with what - Rianni@crystyl:- little we know of the wormhole tech we have to assume limitations outside of our favour. In other words, they were unable to exit any earlier than the planned aperture. That means they will be - Rianni@crystyl:- searching back along a fixed trajectory. I believe the Captain will utilize what we called the piggyback pattern in order to achieve this. Essentially using the Observer to skip the Valley Forge - Rianni@crystyl:- and QanwI' over each other to effectively double their search area within a given timeframe. Based on this alongside conservative estimates regarding both ship's capabilities - plus a small margin- Rianni@crystyl:- of error to allow for unknown quantities like their condition to start with - I believe we are looking at two weeks before we are back in range of them" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods as he looks over the PADD, "That would be a logical method for them to employ. I believe your calculations are correct." Rianni@crystyl smiles a little, "Thank you. So, two weeks in cramped quarters with people we don't necessarily know as well as we should for the circumstances. Two weeks maintaining a ship we barely understand - Rianni@crystyl:- and operating it beyond our individual expertise. These are our challenges, now I want us to work together to find the solutions to them. You have all already done an amazing job in reacting so - Rianni@crystyl:- quickly to the change in circumstances and getting the ship in the most survivable state" she smiles, "So I can already see that we've got this in the bag. But now I need you all to help me - Rianni@crystyl:- understand how best we can make this work. Just about everyone at this table is here in an engineering capacity of some form, but as has already been pointed out-" she nods to Vusal, "-we need to - Rianni@crystyl:- operate other areas of the ship in order to maintain our highest odds of survival. And this is why I wanted to get everyone together now, as I need your help to understand how best we can do this - Rianni@crystyl:- by learning more about one another. This /will/ mean that I have to ask some of you to take responsibilities that you might not be fully comfortable with and to own areas of work that are not your- Rianni@crystyl:- primary focus. I just ask that you forgive me of this difficult ask and continue to work together in the spirit of survival - and let's not beat around the bush, that's exactly what this mission - Rianni@crystyl:- now is; survival" she takes a deep breath, "That said and done, I suppose I should kick this off... I'm sure you all know me already, or at least a version of me. And that is perhaps the one thing- Rianni@crystyl:- people do know about me is the fact there are more than of me. But besides that, I am a tactical - command bridge officer with specialization in fleet combat coordination" Rianni@crystyl leans back, looking to whoever's sat to her left to continue the round-robin introductions Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani: "So you're the one with the clones. Interesting. Are you the original version? You have an officer rank and uniform and all that." Rianni@crystyl:"Just the one clone actually - the 'Observer' who creates these wormholes we've been using. And yes, I am the original and there currently only the two of us around though other versions of me have - Rianni@crystyl:- been encountered, all of which will no doubt make fun stories in due course. What about you... Suhani, right?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani nods, "Like Raznik and plenty of other Orions, I joined you at the New World. I'm working as a general technician on the Valley Forge doing maintenance and damage control, but I was - Ann Carter@anncaris:- put on this crew because I had more familiarity with stealth systems than most others." Rianni@crystyl:"You worked with cloaking devices before I take it?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani nods, "I was part of Vora's raiding fleet before it was disbanded." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "I remember reading some of the Captain's reports when she was tasked with chasing that fleet down. I recall some ingeniously ruthless methods being used. Obviously we had the initial - Rianni@crystyl:- problem with the stealth system here which we now know was a hidden present left behind for us by the Horde. I want to take steps to ensure that nothing else here is rigged to backfire on us,- Rianni@crystyl:- especially that stealth system as it may be our best defense if we encounter the unknown. We'll be relying on your continued attention" she smiles again Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani nods, "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. I've got experience executing cloaking tactics too- I know we're trying to avoid using it because power drain, and because we wanna be - Ann Carter@anncaris:- visible, but if you need someone to operate weapons and defenses, I can do that." Rianni@crystyl nods, "That is one of the stations we would like to keep manned, thank you" she looks to the Orion next to her, "Raznik, you joined us at the New World too then" Ann Carter@anncaris | Raznik nods, "That's right. Afraid I don't have as impressive of a resume, though. I was born and raised in the Orion District of Vue-En. I was just training for the Colonial Fleet before I - Ann Carter@anncaris:- signed on. My parents run a hovercar shop so I've got some mechanical skill and usually help out in Engineering, but I can handle myself in a fight, too. Your Starfleet security's much better - Ann Carter@anncaris:- than me at your own weapons, but I can beat most of them in training with Colonial Fleet weapon designs." Rianni@crystyl:"Fighting is as much about knowing how handle yourself as any weapon. I'd wager that you'd give any of our people a run for their money if starting on a level footing with no familiar equipment" Ann Carter@anncaris | Raznik smirks, "Aye, that I might. Had a look at the weapon stocks on this ship. Nothing of Colonial Fleet design, but nothing of Starfleet design either. Lots of disruptors and plasma rifles - Ann Carter@anncaris:- of makes I've never seen, but a weapon's a weapon, and these still look to be made for hands like ours. Shouldn't take much to figure out how to use 'em." Rianni@crystyl:"I'd appreciate your insights into them then. I don't anticipate needing them at all, but I certainly don't plan on finding ourselves facing that action and suddenly wondering how to disengage the - Rianni@crystyl:- safety on an unfamiliar weapon" she nods, looking to the next one alone Ann Carter@anncaris | Hurdan: "I'm Specialist Hurdan, general technician. Not much to know about me," he raises his two-thumbed hands. "Benzite hands are good for dexterous tasks. Need any particularly delicate - Ann Carter@anncaris:- work done, I'm your man. Other than that, well, I'm from Benzar and my family's been taking tours as listers in Starfleet ever since grandfather enlisted back in the Dominion War." Rianni@crystyl tilts her head curiously, "I... did not know that about Benzite hands. Good to know, thank you! And it can be just important to have someone here who comes from such a distinguished line of - Rianni@crystyl:- servicemen; someone who truly knows in their heart what our values as Starfleet personnel are, as such things are at the highest risk of faulting under circumstances like ours now. Nothing much to- Rianni@crystyl:- know about you, you say? Perhaps the most important person here as you could wind up being as much of a beacon to us as this thing" she pokes at her insignia with a smile Ann Carter@anncaris | Hurdan smiles back, "Thank you. I do my best to serve as those before me in my family did." Rianni@crystyl smiles at their progress as she looks to the next one down the table Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "I am Ensign Vusal, junior Engineering officer. My parents always hoped for me to study at the Vulcan Science Academy or Daystrom Institute, but I prefer applied work over research, - Ann Carter@anncaris:- which was why I chose Starfleet Academy. I completed my studies several weeks earlier than the rest of my class and made Ensign just before the Valley Forge began this journey. As the vessel was - Ann Carter@anncaris:- looking for officers at the time, I joined the crew as my first posting." Rianni@crystyl chuckles, "Quite the first posting. Though I am hardly one to comment as I chose to do exactly the same myself before graduating even. What did you minor in, out of interest?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "Isolinear systems engineering. I am also well-versed in biotechnology, which was one of the primary reasons Commander Keliaya assigned me here, in case the Kratt implemented any in - Ann Carter@anncaris:- their repairs. My father is a biotechnology researcher at Daystrom and an acquaintance of Professor Lycas." Rianni@crystyl smiles faintly, "That alone is testament to the expertise in your family, and good to know thank you. Did you ever undergo the bridge officer testing while at the academy?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods, "I have indeed. I am not a command officer, but I anticipate becoming a senior engineering officer at some point in my career." Rianni@crystyl nods, "That's more than many engineering graduates can say so early in their career. Given our short numbers, I may need to call upon you help cover command of the bridge, if you feel that would - Rianni@crystyl:- not be asking too much of you" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "If you require it, I will perform the role to the best of my ability." Rianni@crystyl:"That's as much as anyone can ask of any of us. I will try not to impose of course, but it is good to know I have the option" she looks on to the next Rianni@crystyl | Emma looks back with a smile, "I'm Emma, another Orion who jumped into bed with this crazy little crew of ours at Vue En. I mainly work Operations now but have covered most fields during my - Rianni@crystyl:- previous tours with Starfleet" Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani: "Previous tours? You look about the same age as all the other Ensigns here, younger than some, even." Rianni@crystyl:"Looks can be deceiving, Emma here even puts the famed Orion youthful looks to shame, don't you" Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles and nods, "Yes, it is a complicated story - and perhaps another which has reached your ears through the shipboard rumour mill - but this is now my... um, third or fourth tour with - Rianni@crystyl:- Starfleet, i think? It's hard to remember the details after a while. But my service dates back to the early 23rd century. In that time I have worked most postings either within Starfleet or other - Rianni@crystyl:- services like the OSN and Colonial Fleet" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal raises a brow, "You do not appear to be anywhere close to the age of Professor Lycas, and he only began service in the mid-23rd century." Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "As my dear vijra over there kindly pointed out; looks can be deceiving. I am indeed that old, but my... affliction holds my body in a perpetual state of regeneration which means in both - Rianni@crystyl:- body and mind, spirit and soul, I am the age which I appear to be, not that which is equal to the sum of years spent walking this galaxy" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "Fascinating. That explains your wealth of experience, despite still being an Ensign." Rianni@crystyl | Emma nods, "Despite the Captain's objections when she learned of my situation, I felt I had been away from Starfleet for too long to justify returning at any higher rank. This is who I am in my - Rianni@crystyl:- heart and a level of responsibility that best suits me. That said, since we are being candid here and it is no surprise to Rianni, I previously held the rank of Commander and I did hold my own - Rianni@crystyl:- commission as a starship CO for a time. But it did not suit me, nor I it, which is why I will not be interfering in Rianni's command here" Rianni@crystyl smiles, "But she will be acting as something of an XO as that experience is invaluable" Ann Carter@anncaris | Hurdan nods, "A good choice. I'm sure she's got a lot of experience that can help us here." Rianni@crystyl:"Oh, and fun fact; she's also responsible for the Orion people's natural affinity for dancing" she grins Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani: "Wait...what?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma eyerolls, "Pure conjecture! Please don't start that again Captain..." Rianni@crystyl chuckles, "Sorry" to Suhani, "Another fun story we can no doubt share in good time while we're here. But moving on" she looks to the next around the table Ann Carter@anncaris | Togu: "I'm Chief Specialist Togu. Specialist Dichu back on board the Valley Forge is my hatch-kin. I was in Starfleet for a little longer than her, which was why I made Chief Specialist - Ann Carter@anncaris:- already, but she's just as good of a technician as I am. She just joined us at the start of the journey to travel with me and see the galaxy together." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "You are fortunate to have her at your side. I admit, hearing that fills me something of a sweet sorrow as I dearly miss my baby sister. What is your specialization in?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Togu: "Computer systems, but I know enough about hardware to do console maintenance and repairs. I'll help check the coding, make sure the Horde didn't leave us any more surprises." Rianni@crystyl smiles and nods, "Perfect, thank you. It will be most reassuring to know that our ship won't keep trying to kill us" she chuckles looking to the next Ann Carter@anncaris:"I'm Ensign Ann Carter. I was born an' raised on Nimbus- well, I ain't sure 'bout the born bit but I probably was. S'all I remember growin' up, anyways. Was livin' out in the desert when I happened - Ann Carter@anncaris:- upon a Starfleet away team on a mission an' they let me tag along. An' tha's how I ended up in Starfleet." Rianni@crystyl:"And we ended up with one of the most natural starship pilots in the fleet" she smiles Ann Carter@anncaris smiles back, "Thank ya, Cap'n! I specialize in pilotin' an' tha's why I was assigned to the skeleton crew, but I know my way 'round salvage if we need to break apart anythin' to keep us goin'." Rianni@crystyl:"An invaluable skill when it comes to survival. We will be watching on long range sensors for any potential points of interest" Rianni@crystyl looks to the next one around Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera: "I'm Petty Officer C'Sera. I specialize in Propulsion Systems, which is why Kelly assigned me here. This ship has very powerful engines for its size, and they're uniquely configured to - Ann Carter@anncaris:- work in tandem with the stealth systems." Rianni@crystyl nods, "We certainly have our work cut out for us as we learn our way around this ship and her systems. I learned from Crystyl back when I first joined this crew just how invaluable our NCO's are; - Rianni@crystyl:- you are a breed C'Sera, and we are fortunate to have your experience along with us here. I have no doubt i will be relying heavily on it" Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera: "I won't let you down, Captain." Rianni@crystyl smiles, looking to the last one Ann Carter@anncaris | Lao: "I'm Chief Petty Officer Lao. I've been in Starfleet for twenty years, and I've done, well, all sorts of things. Began as a crewman working general maintenance and repair duties. Shifted - Ann Carter@anncaris:- to Security for a little bit when tensions with the Klingons were rising, but I was better at fixing phasers than firing them, so I went back to Engineering when I made Petty Officer. I've worked - Ann Carter@anncaris:- on a variety of ships and stations since then. Some of the ones you might've heard about are the Imperial, Rideout and Defiant." Rianni@crystyl nods, "I am certainly familiar with some of those" she smiles, "And we are graced with even more years of experience by your presence; almost as long serving in Starfleet as I have been walking" - Rianni@crystyl:- she chuckles, "I feel a whole lot better about our odds of success knowing that we have such a well experienced crew here. I may not have the years of service some of you possess" she nods to the - Rianni@crystyl:- NCO's on her right, "or the life experience of our Orion friends who joined us at Vue En" nodding to the others, "But in the few short years I have been with Starfleet I have learned a lot and I - Rianni@crystyl:- promise all of you that I will do my best to do you all justice with it" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "The other officers speak very highly of your abilities, and we certainly have more experience than the average Ensigns already from our time on this journey." Ann Carter@anncaris | Lao nods, "You may not have the years of service some of us have, but you've certainly got talent." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "That is actually why I chose to take this assignment myself. I had a very... broken time as a cadet, but almost all of it - certainly the most beneficial time - was spent not in San - Rianni@crystyl:- Francisco, but out either on starships or starbases. When I learned of this mission I knew it was the best place to be to gain experience and return home one day as the best officer I can make - Rianni@crystyl:- myself, it's the least I can do for the second chance I was given..." she strays briefly, "We have already been through so much together as a crew, I know I could not - and would not - ask for - Rianni@crystyl:- any better team of people to face any situation" Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani nods, "Nothing like firsthand experience. I never attended any Academies, learned everything as I went, and I've managed so far." Rianni@crystyl:"And that is why I am glad to have such a balanced crew here on this ship. I only hope that I am able to learn from your collective experiences so I can do a good enough job for you all" she smiles Ann Carter@anncaris smiles back, "I'm sure ya'll do well! We'll do everythin' we can to make things go smoother for ya." Rianni@crystyl:"Oh right! That reminds me, thank you Ann" she looks around the table, "We already know our situation and the close quarters we're faced with. But I see a lot of diversity here, and we are all - Rianni@crystyl:- still individuals with individual needs. I don't expect anyone to voice anything openly here, nor do I ask for details. I simply want to make sure everyone here remembers this and - if any of you - Rianni@crystyl:- do have any personal needs - you let me know what can done to accommodate" Rianni@crystyl adds as an afterthought, "In confidence and private at personal discretion, of course" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods, "Of course. We will come to you if there is any accommodations we may require." Rianni@crystyl:"That's all I ask so we can try to accommodate one another. Now, with the basics of our setup sorted I would like to get everyone's thoughts and ideas on how to improve our situation. We know this - Rianni@crystyl:- ship is difficult to detect on sensors. We also have the known energy and provisioning issues. So any thoughts or suggestions; now is the time to air them" Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani: "We don't know much about this area, but it can't be far from Horde space, if we're not on the edges of it, and we've got limited armaments. This ship has two forward disruptor banks - Ann Carter@anncaris:- and one aft, along with two forward torpedo launchers but there's only two tricobalt warheads and six photon torpedoes in storage, not a lot of ammunition." Rianni@crystyl nods, "So it would be preferable to avoid enemy engagements. No arguments here" Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani: "Hopefully the specialized hull plating will hide us from being noticed, but if a threat is coming towards us, our best option would be to engage cloak and run. Which will cost a - Ann Carter@anncaris:- significant amount of power, but it's better than being blown up." Ann Carter@anncaris | Lao: "The cloak is definitely over-engineered. It's more than what you need to hide and run. Maybe we can find a way to lower the power requirement at the cost of some efficiency. It'll still - Ann Carter@anncaris:- be enough to keep us undetected when we need." Rianni@crystyl nods, "It's definitely worth exploring the options" Ann Carter@anncaris | Suhani: "I'll look into it, see what I can do." Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "There is also the question of what to do if we should happen upon a fuel source. This vessel can store much more fuel than it currently possesses. The amount is so limited because much - Ann Carter@anncaris:- of its reserves were already depleted by the Horde. If we find a source of fuel, it may provide us enough power to manage the entire journey back at warp, but any fuel source will almost - Ann Carter@anncaris:- certainly require a deviation from our path, which will make it more difficult for the Valley Forge to locate us." Rianni@crystyl:"Indeed, and I think it is a decision we can only make based on the circumstances which present along with any such opportunity. My only initial idea on that front has been to fabricate a buoy of - Rianni@crystyl:- sorts; something we drop along the predicted search route with a Starfleet encrypted direction for them to follow. This is a small and minimal ship, but proportionately to what we are actually - Rianni@crystyl:- utilizing we have a lot of salvage under our feet. We also have so perfect expertise around this table so I'm sure if anyone could find a way to cobble something together, we can" Ann Carter@anncaris nods, "I'll see if I can scrape somethin' together, but we'll probably only manage one. It's more likely we'll see the Valley Forge before it sees us anyways, I think we should hold onto the - Ann Carter@anncaris:- buoy for now. If we gotta deviate from the search route, then we drop the buoy with a message, then come back to see if anybody's found it. If not, we can pick it back up an' drop it again if we - Ann Carter@anncaris:- gotta deviate again. Tha' way we can keep reusin' it as a marker for when we gotta go off course for any reason." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "Exactly what I was thinking, yes! It's unlikely we'll even encounter such a scenario, but I would still rather be ready should the situation arise" Ann Carter@anncaris:"Yeah, we might very well be in Horde space right now after all. Might have to change course on the fly to avoid bein' detected or somethin'." Rianni@crystyl:"We'll add it to the list of projects we're undertaking then. This may require us to divert some power to other areas of the ship as we salvage required parts, but I think it's a worthwhile endeavour” Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods, "It certainly is, especially if it enable us to deviate from the course to investigate a source of fuel without the risk of the Valley Forge passing us by." Rianni@crystyl:"Anything more we haven't already covered?" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "We have no medical officer. It would be preferable if such a role is not required during our time on this vessel, but it is another situation we should be prepared for." Rianni@crystyl:"Yes, and the closest experience we have outside of basic field aid is likely a byproduct of your biotech expertise" Ann Carter@anncaris:"Unless Emma's worked as a doctor at some point in her many tours?" she looks to Emma hopefully Rianni@crystyl | Emma shakes her head, "I might know my way around slightly more intricate field aid, so I will certainly do all I can to help. But beyond short term patching of wounds I will not be of much use" Rianni@crystyl | Emma turns to Vusal, "Your expertise is superior in this field, but should the need arise I will do everything I can to support" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal nods, "I will work with Ensign Ralde if there is a medical situation, then." Rianni@crystyl:"Thank you both. Yet another need that we hope not to occur, but musts be prepared for" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "Indeed. It is always better to be prepared but never have to make use of the preparation." Rianni@crystyl:"By far the superior strategy" she smiles, "Better to have and not need, that to need and not have" Rianni@crystyl:"I'm sure more will come out as we progress on our new mission now, but that's already a lot of ground covered today so I suggest we try and start getting rest between us" Ann Carter@anncaris:"Oh tha's another thing- someone should cover the helm when I'm not on it. Could always call me if there's an emergency, but it's a good idea to have someone on the station." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Any volunteers to cover our first 'night shift'?" Ann Carter@anncaris | C'Sera nods, "I'm not a licensed pilot, but my work with propulsion systems provides me a decent understanding of how it all works." Rianni@crystyl:"Very good. If one or two more feel up to it, I suggest working together on the bridge while the rest of us recoup. It will be another challenge given our short number, but we'll have to maintain a - Rianni@crystyl:- minimum operating crew on the bridge at all times" Ann Carter@anncaris | Vusal: "We will ensure our resting times are divided appropriately to maintain personnel on the bridge." Rianni@crystyl nods, "I don't want to go down the road of trying to force any kind of shift pattern as I think it will just make our lives more difficult here. I will instead trust everyone to manage their time - Rianni@crystyl:- effectively and rely on your judgement as much as I am" Ann Carter@anncaris | Togu nods, "Got it, Captain." Ann Carter@anncaris | Hurdan: "We're all in this together. We won't let you down." Rianni@crystyl stands, "And I won't let you down either. That will be all for now" --- NPC@annpc#557 | A day after the ship meeting, the bridge is quiet as the ship travels along in deep space without incident so far. Emma steps on the bridge as she arrives to give Rianni a little time to rest Emma Ralde@crystyl heads over, nudging her, "Hey you. How long have you been watching over things up here now? No, don't even answer. Those bags under your eyes say it all. Go on, get some rest" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni slumps but nods and stretches a little, "Thanks Emma. hopefully we won't be stuck just passing like ships in the night all the time" Emma Ralde@crystyl smiles, "I'm sure we'll get some downtime, don't worry. Now go sleep already!" Emma Ralde@crystyl | Rianni smiles back as she stands, "It's all yours" yawning into the back of her hand as she heads off Emma Ralde@crystyl takes the chair after watching her leave NPC@annpc#557 | Ann glances over with a smirk, "Sure ya never been a doctor? Coulda fooled me with the way ya called her off to sleep!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I'm sure you of all people can appreciate the special power that comes with a vijra" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann chuckles, "Tha's true!" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"So how's things going up here anyway - anything I need to know?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani shakes her head, "Everything's looking good so far. I think I've figured out a way to activate the cloak without activating the hull emitters, which'll save us some power. But let's not - NPC@annpc#557 - test it unless there's a reason to cloak; maintaining a cloaking field alone's already a lot of power." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Yes, let's not go there shall we. But it's great news that you managed to suss it out!" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "And you'll like this too- the torpedo launchers are built to be able to fire from cloak. Not the disruptors and we don't have many torpedoes, but if we do need to fight, it's a - NPC@annpc#557:- big advantage to be able to get the jump on somebody. Fire one of those tricobalt warheads and we can even take out an unsuspecting battleship if its shields are down." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Firing while cloaked is a distinct advantage! Also a little scary to think this thing was stalking us all that time and at any point could have dropped a torpedo right into an unshielded nacelle..." NPC@annpc#557 | Ann nods, "Yeah..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Any word on how the others are getting on?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "It's not the most comfortable of circumstances, but I think most of us have been through worse. They miss the friends they got on board the Forge, but we're all getting along here." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "We've all got people we miss. I'm just glad I'm here with Rianni, but we still have those we miss too" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "You're lucky to have each other here. So, how long have you two been vijra?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Honestly, I'm not even sure when it happened. We've been together for a while now but I guess it just sort of... happened" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani chuckles, "That's how it always happens, isn't it? Or so I'm told." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Seems to be the case more often than not when it does occur. Never found someone that draws it out in you then?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani shakes her head, "Nope. I've been in the raiding fleet most of my time in the galaxy. Not exactly a stable lifestyle to settle down with somebody in. I guess you could say the same - NPC@annpc#557:- about this journey, but even though the Valley Forge's always on the move, it's like a Baseship, a mobile home. Not a dingy little raider." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "True enough. And that's the beauty of it finding you not the other way around; could be anywhere anywhen. I certainly didn't plan on finding it when I joined them" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Why did you end up joining? Nostalgia for your previous tours in Starfleet, or wanted to see this new OSN like the rest of us?" Emma Ralde@crystyl smiles at the insight, "I too was drawn by the allure of the new OSN. I knew it was a thing but honestly, back when it was starting out I didn't think they had it in them to make it work. So I left- Emma Ralde@crystyl:- them to it and headed out to Vue En as it seemed like a more promising future for our people" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Me neither, though I always heard of 'em from Vora's point of view, so I didn't like them much at first. But now it actually looks to be shaping up to something big. And I guess I - NPC@annpc#557:- miss the regions we used to operate in a bit too." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I just wanted to see our people able to stand tall and proud alongside the rest of the people in our quadrant like we used to be able to. No more of this 'Syndicate this' and 'slave girl that'" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani nods, "You and me both. You spent time in Syndicate space too, or been in Starfleet during the time they were at their strongest?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I've been around enough to see what's wrong with it. Not like Lennie growing up in that world or anything though" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "I grew up on a Syndicate world too. Didn't have it quite as rough as Lennie, though." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I can't pretend to fully relate to either of you on that. But I remember the old OSN, when we were revered explorers like Starfleet and the Explorers Guild was an elite society that had real - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- meaning. It was heartbreaking to see the males destroy all of that and devolve into the Syndicate" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "I've only heard stories of the old OSN, but I guess they were partly the reason I ended up coming out here." Emma Ralde@crystyl smiles, "Got a little of that old explorer spirit in your blood too then" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani smiles back, "That I do. I suppose I was also a little desperate for any kind of change back then." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods grimly, "Many were. But with all I've heard about the OSN it sounds like we're closer than ever to actually breaking free of the Syndicate stigma once and for all. Thanks to people like Vora - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- and Lennie's mother" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "I certainly hope so. Another reason why I joined up- not much I can do against the Syndicate out here. Vora's still got a few operations striking at them to keep them down, but most - NPC@annpc#557:- of the fleet's attention's focused on protecting Vue-En from the Horde. And now that the Colonial Fleet's made nice with the OSN, I don't expect they'll build another raiding fleet. Probably - NPC@annpc#557:- just provide some support to the OSN who should be able to manage cleaning up the rest of the Syndicate on their own." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "Sounds like a reasonable prediction to me" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Joining up with the OSN, that way I can be there when we finally bring down the Syndicate for good." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That your plan for after this mission then?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani nods, "What about you? Planning to join the OSN, or stay in Starfleet with your vijra?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"That's a good question... originally it was a no-brainer to head back out with the OSN. But now... well now everything is different. I've got her, and she's got her whole Starfleet future ahead. - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- And now we're out here with this Iconian sphere and all, and the OSN is here too. So... I really don't know how things will play out" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Guess you'll just have to make it up as you go along, see where things take you. Plans don't always work out and half the time you just end up playing it by ear anyways." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "I learned many years ago to view my path through life differently. I tend to go where the wind blows, and this time it blew me to Rianni" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Must've blown you to lots of places in a life as long as yours." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, smiling, "You're not wrong" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Bet you have lots of stories to tell. You mentioned you commanded your own ship before?" Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "During the Klingon War, yes" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann chuckles, "Think ya gotta clarify /which/ Klingon War. You've been alive through 'em all!" Emma Ralde@crystyl laughs, "Good point. This was the one towards the end of the 23rd century" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "That's a long time ago. Starfleet ships must've been pretty different back then. I actually started out working on an old Romulan warbird dating back to that time, and it was...pretty - NPC@annpc#557:- different." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Were those the ones where they - for some reason I still can't fathom - painted them with giant bird pictures under the hull?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani laughs, "Yes, those were the ones. I don't know why they painted the birds either. I guess as smaller ships they were meant to land or bombard targets in-atmosphere and it was supposed - NPC@annpc#557:- to look impressive or something? But the birds weren't exactly intimidating either..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I always thought those ships looked more cute than anything..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"But yes, that command was around that time. Perhaps a little later. It was after I served on the Valley Forge and wore a uniform like Mia's" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "You served on the Valley For- oh, this must be another Valley Forge. To be fair to the Romulans, those uniforms Starfleet fielded were cute too. Guess cute was the fashion back then." Emma Ralde@crystyl grins, "Indeed. I can't deny a certain fondness for our current Captain's take on the modern uniform either" she brushes her skirt down proudly against her legs, "Takes me back. I suppose that was - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- another reason I joined at Vue En too. Seeing a Starfleet ship turn up with news of the OSN was one thing, but to be a Valley Forge of all things I kind of felt like the universe would be offended- Emma Ralde@crystyl:- if I didn't tag along" she chuckles at the absurdity of the idea NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani chuckles, "So the Valley Forge of that time, what was it like?" Emma Ralde@crystyl leans back as she thinks, "It was definitely a different galaxy back then; simpler, somehow. Starfleet was much wilder and more carefree, almost reckless at times. Everything was bright and - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- colourful from our uniforms to the ship's bulkheads. I think it made for a sunnier atmosphere. The technology was a lot simpler too; good old fashioned duotronics. No clean iso chip panels when - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- opened a maintenance hatch, just a spaghetti mess of cross wiring that nobody but the chief who did the job could ever hope to decipher. Yet, their ships kept flying and everyone loved their - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- simple charm. It was all about style back then, not just functionality. Ever see a Starfleet tricorder of that era? No simple plain tool but leather cases, shiny chrome panelling. They really - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- tried back then!" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Really? I've never seen one of those before. Things sound /very/ different back then..." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"You should ask Mia to show you her old program sometime. It's quite the eye opener, and I don't just mean the uniforms!" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "I'll check it out sometime. I think Mia's uniform could look nice on me," she grins Emma Ralde@crystyl:"You've definitely got the figure for it!" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Thank you! So, what made you join Starfleet back then? The old OSN was still a thing in that time, wasn't it?" Emma Ralde@crystyl:"They were, but I was young and idealistic. I saw this upstart little species nobody had ever heard of before suddenly taking the quadrant by storm; spreading like wildfire but somehow uniting - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- species like the Vulcans and Andorians at the time. I had to see it for myself and be a part of something so special. Of course, our people at the time were already on a downward turn. The - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- galactic expansion of all species tempted our Tabadi's of the time and they overstretched themselves playing the fake slave girl game and using their pet males to act as the dominant ones. In a - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- way, they planted the seed of rebellion in the males that ended up building that fake portrayal into the reality which lasted until recent years" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani nods, "It's a thin line to walk. The raiding fleet pretended to be nothing more than common pirates to salvage all the debris and supplies left through the region through your wars, but - NPC@annpc#557:- sometimes we got dangerously close to actually sinking to the Syndicate's depths too. Maybe if Vora didn't end up disbanding us, we would've. If you pretend to be something for too long, you - NPC@annpc#557:- start to actually turn into it." Emma Ralde@crystyl nods, "Very true. I'm glad things worked though" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Me too. Though I still miss the way we operated sometimes, sneaking around, making shady deals, interacting with the rougher parts of the galaxy. I suppose the ships that venture - NPC@annpc#557:- outside Colonial Space still do the latter, but the main fleet usually relegates the recon and stealth strikes to Toroki." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"Well one thing's for certain, however this Horde business ends up playing out; this little corner of the galaxy will never be the same. You find Vue En a very different place by the time we next - Emma Ralde@crystyl:- head back there" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani nods, "With all the Coalition gathered there, I can imagine. Once we get rid of the Horde, I imagine the Sphere might become more of a formal headquarters for the Coalition, neutral - NPC@annpc#557:- ground and all, but Vue-En's certainly going to have much more traffic." Emma Ralde@crystyl smiles, "That's a noble concept I don't think anyone's even thought of yet. With a connection to Federation space I'm sure Starfleet and the OSN will maintain a presence there too" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani smiles as well, "It'll be nice to have a gateway to this region that the OSN has a presence in, so I can always revisit Vue-En when I want to." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I was fortunate enough to meet with the Tabadi's when I went back to Vue En to summon aid to the sphere. I get the impression that they are keen to unify with the Vue En colony" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "I look forward to seeing that happen, hopefully one day soon." Emma Ralde@crystyl:"I think it's the dream that keeps us all in this fight" --- NPC@annpc#557 | Two more days pass without incident with the stealth ship crew having gotten to know one another over the time. Duty on the ship is quickly feeling more normal as the crew slowly settles into - NPC@annpc#557 - routines they are comfortable with NPC@annpc#557 | It is once again Rianni's turn to monitor the bridge as they cruise through deep space... NPC@annpc#557 | Ann glances back as they fly along, "So, Cap'n...I've been thinkin'..." Rianni@crystyl sits quietly in her chair, reviewing notes from their study of the ship. Looking up, "Hm? What's on your mind?" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "We've been here for days and just callin' our ship the 'stealth ship.' Shouldn't we give it a proper name?" Rianni@crystyl smiles, "I suppose you are right. We might not be in a position to paint it on the hull yet, but a ship should have a name if it's to be a part of the crew. And since this one isn't trying to kill - Rianni@crystyl:- us now, I think I'm good with signing it on officially! Any suggestions?" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Hmm...wha'd ya wanna name it, one o' those idea names like Enterprise or somethin' named after a place or creature or somethin'?" Rianni@crystyl:"I don't know, but it should be something fitting for her" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "This ship's built for stealth, so maybe the name should reflect tha'. Either a sneaky creature, or somethin' related to bein' stealthy..." Rianni@crystyl:"Something like, um... Phantom? Or, what was the mythical creature Emma told me about. Some word in Orion, Mork-something I think?" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Morakos? I think tha's already the name of the Thana's class or somethin', ain't it?" Rianni@crystyl:"That's the one!" her elation is brief though, "Hmm... you may be right. Well, it's not like it's my decision alone to make. Anyone got any suggestions?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "What about Aethon? It does not necessarily reflect the stealth capabilities of the vessel, but it was captured from the enthralled Ar-Rhys. In your Earth mythology, there are a number - NPC@annpc#557 - creatures, primarily horses, named Aethon, including steeds belonginging to Aries. It may also be fitting for the ship's role, as one of Starfleet's first experiments into cloaking technology - NPC@annpc#557:- was performed on the USS Pegasus, similarly named for horse-like creatures from the mythology of the same culture." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "A name with history and meaning, I like it! What do the rest of you think?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Aethon has a nice ring to it. Flows as nicely as any Orion name." NPC@annpc#557 | Ann nods, "I like it too!" Rianni@crystyl smiles, "It's settled then!" she stands, carrying her PADD and hunting around the room a little Rianni@crystyl:"Aha!" she finds whatever she was looking for under a console at the back where some of the team have been working on salvage NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "It's gonna be so much easier referrin' to her as Aethon than 'the stealth ship,'" she glances back, "What're ya lookin' for?" Rianni@crystyl works away briefly at the table before moving over to the entrance Rianni@crystyl holds her PADD up to the wall and - of course with a tongue of concentration poking from one side of her mouth - run some sealant around it to hold it to the wall NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Oooh, are ya makin' a makeshift plaque?" Rianni@crystyl steps back to review her handiwork with a nod of approval, "Perfect!" she admires the PADD which now reads "Aethon" in big writing, clearly in place as a Starfleet plaque would be NPC@annpc#557 | Ann steps over to observe with a smile, "Spot on with the positionin' too! Couldn't have done it better myself!" Rianni@crystyl:"Maybe by the time we get back we can think up a suitable quote to add to it as well!" Rianni@crystyl returns to her seat, looking around and slumping a little as she realizes that she no longer has her PADD to work on... NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani chuckles, passing Rianni her PADD, "Here, you can have mine, Captain. I'm not using it and just working on the console right now anyways." NPC@annpc#557 | Meanwhile, Ann returns to her seat to continue monitoring the helm Rianni@crystyl smiles, accepting it, "Thank you Suhani! I... didn't really think that through too well..." she chuckles NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "It's good to have that up so the rest of the crew know what to call the ship, though!" Rianni@crystyl:"This was a great idea Ann. Just what we need to make it feel a little more like our own" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann smiles, "Thought it'd be a little nicer with a proper name, like all our ships got!" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal taps on his console before turning to Rianni, "Captain, our communications systems are picking up a distress call." Rianni@crystyl turns, "A distress call? Let's hear it" NPC@annpc#557 | A static-filled video of a Clenduros face appears on the viewscreen, "...merchant ship pursued...Lupan raid...we can't outrun th...minimal defenses. Any nearby...please assist. We will - NPC@annpc#557:- offer rewar...-f the...anything left from our carg..." Rianni@crystyl:"Do we have a fix on their position?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "I have the source of their distress call. Sending it to the helm now." Rianni@crystyl:"I know we are not in the best shape ourselves, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who couldn't just ignore them and live with herself. Or himself..." she corrects as an afterthought, "Ann... adjust - Rianni@crystyl:- heading to intercept" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann nods, "Aye Cap'n." NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "We should be careful. The remnants of the Clenduros civilization have a reputation for piracy. This may be a trap." Rianni@crystyl:"We could approach under cloak to gauge the situation, but we know that will cost us power. Recommendations?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "It's certainly quite a bit of power, but given the situation I think it's our best bet. If there are Lupan, we're outmatched. Stealth is the only way we'll get an upper hand over them." Rianni@crystyl:"And if it is a trap, it's our best bet to overcome it. Either way, there is something out there and we'll just have to make every effort to make good on the situation. If it's a genuine assist, we - Rianni@crystyl:- can try to earn their favour and get them to help us. If it's a trap, we own the situation and take what's there" she nods, "Wake the crew and get everyone to action stations" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal nods, "Aye Captain," he proceeds to wake the crew as the ship speeds up towards the source of the distress call... Rianni@crystyl:"How long until we're in sensor range?" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "At our current sensor levels, three minutes." Rianni@crystyl:"Stand by on the cloak, I'd rather air on the side of caution and have it engaged a little early" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani nods, "Ready to cloak on your order, Captain." Rianni@crystyl | Emma stumbles in half asleep along with some of the others, "What's going-..." she pauses, scratching her head at the door, "Aethon?" shaking her head and continuing Rianni@crystyl nods, "Engage cloak" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani taps her console and the Aethon shimmers and disappears into cloak... Rianni@crystyl turns to Emma and the others, "I'm sorry to wake you but we've intercepted a distress signal. Clenduros merchants claiming to be under attack from Lupan. Trap or no, it's a resource we can't pass - Rianni@crystyl:- up or a potential ally able to help our dire situation if we can save them first. So we're going in, just entering sensor range any minute now" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Enterin' sensor range...now." Rianni@crystyl:"So what can we see out there?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "There is indeed a lightly armed vessel, most likely a cargo ship, under attack by ships with hull configuration that suggest Lupan origin. A smaller attack ship is firing on the - NPC@annpc#557:- freighter while a much larger vessel is following further behind." Rianni@crystyl:"Any telltales on the ownership of the vessels?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "The freighter is broadcasting a transponder identifying it as the 'Cosmic Cetacean,' an independent cargo carrier. There is a Corporate Freelancer resume and a Carran license attached. - NPC@annpc#557:- Both appear to be legitimate from what I am able to discern." Rianni@crystyl:"It certainly appears to be a genuine call for aid" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "We're no match for two Lupan ships, let alone one that looks like a Packship. We should wait until the Packship catches up and tries to beam over boarding parties or beam the cargo - NPC@annpc#557:- off the freighter and hit it with one of the tricobalt warheads once its shields are down. That just leaves us the one raider to deal with, which we should be able to handle." Rianni@crystyl:"I would not like to put anyone in close quarters against a hungry Lupan pack at the best of times, and as prepared as we are, we are no MACO squad" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "If we hit the Packship from stealth, we negate the biggest threat to us." NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "A tricobalt warhead would most likely wipe out the entire pack." NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Well we have limited photons, and there's only so many times we can fire before they'll get a fix on our location, cloak or not. Especially since they've got a second ship that can - NPC@annpc#557 - help track down our location." Rianni@crystyl:"It would. But if there is one thing Captain Keelah has made a point of drumming into me, it's that Starfleet doesn't fire first" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Time to intercept's two minutes." Rianni@crystyl:"Put us in position to make the attack and have a warhead ready in the tube. We must try to diffuse the situation first so... I guess I have to do this. Open a channel; general open broadcast, not - Rianni@crystyl:- targeted" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal nods, "Channel open." Rianni@crystyl takes a deep breath, "...Lupan hunters! Hear me! Cease your attack on this defenseless prey" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "They are responding with a general broadcast of their own." Rianni@crystyl:"As well they should. Let's hear it" NPC@annpc#557 | A growling Lupan voice comes through the comms, "Who's there? Clenduros raiders in hiding? Show yourselves!" Rianni@crystyl tuts, "What kind of hunter would I be if I did not savour the taste of the hunt?" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "Very well. If you will not reveal yourselves, then we will find you!" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "They are performing tachyon sweeps. Luckily they won't compromise a cloak of this sophistication." Rianni@crystyl:"You would do well to rethink your hastiness. I simply want to know why you hunt this weak prey" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "We carry out the will of the Sisterhood." Rianni@crystyl:"That's funny, because the last I spoke with the Sisterhood they were more interested in seeing the great Lupan hunters prove their supremacy to the galaxy by pushing back the army of the dead that - Rianni@crystyl:- marches ever coreward" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "Not all of us are mighty Holy Warriors or great tribes. Some of our more mercantile packs have been given duties away from the front lines of the war, but no less vital." Rianni@crystyl:"And no less honourable. But the Sisterhood are allies of the Coalition in this war, so why would they risk that position they worked so hard to attain over the sake of mere piracy?" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "Piracy? We are not pirates! Pirates are the reason we are here!" Rianni@crystyl:"You expect me to believe that this simple little freighter is a pirate vessel?" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "Unlikely, but they may be Horde spies. This region has been plagued by Anarchist activity. The Sisterhood tasked us with rooting them out, but this freighter refused to recognize the - NPC@annpc#557 - authority of the Coalition and fled when we attempted to transport over for inspection." Rianni@crystyl:"Perhaps a more considered approach is required. As one hunter to another, please stand down and give us the chance to sort this mess out" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "And how do we know you are not Horde spies?" Rianni@crystyl looks to her side, "Give me a visual channel" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal taps her console, "Visual on, Captain." Rianni@crystyl looks to the viewscreen NPC@annpc#557 | A black-furred Lupan comes into view on the screen Rianni@crystyl:"Because I En-... Captain Tierno of the Coalition vessel Aethon. You might recognize my uniform as that of the Starblade itself. And if that is not enough for you-" she reaches up and into her - Rianni@crystyl:- collar, pulling free her necklace which she yanks from neck and holds forward, dangling the visible Lupan tooth from it's end, "-then hear me as a fellow packmember, for I carry the mark of a - Rianni@crystyl:- fallen packmember. One who fell during his rite of passage while hunting the Tiah" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "I recognize both. I will take you on your honour on one condition- that you also take me on mine. Reveal your ship, so if this is some elaborate Horde trick, we may destroy you. But we - NPC@annpc#557:- have no intention of harming another member of the Coalition, if that is what you are." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Very well, but our shields are going nowhere as long as there are charged weapons in range" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "That is fair." Rianni@crystyl nods to her side, "Drop the cloak and open a direct channel to the freighter" NPC@annpc#557 | The Aethon shimmers as it emerges from cloak... NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "Channel open to the Clenduros freighter." NPC@annpc#557 | A Clenduros face appears onscreen, this time without the static Rianni@crystyl softens her tone, "Hello Captain, I assume? I trust you heard all of that, and let me just apologize for describing you and your crew as 'prey'. I hope you understand that was not meant towards - Rianni@crystyl:- you, but I had to be sure of getting the Lupan's attention so they would stop and respond" NPC@annpc#557 | Clenduros: "Yes, we've been monitoring communications. These animals are really working with you? You trust that they're actually just here to check for Horde influence?" Rianni@crystyl:"I trust them as much as trust you right now, and as much as I expect either of you to trust me. That said, their story does align with established facts as does your vessel's identity. But please, - Rianni@crystyl:- I would like to hear things in your own words before acting further. Firstly though, are you and your people alright - do you have any injured?" NPC@annpc#557 | Clenduros: "No, nothing serious at least. A few minor burns and bruises as the Lupan were taking out our engines and limited defenses." Rianni@crystyl:"Well let us at least be thankful for nothing worse. So then, what is your perspective on this situation?" NPC@annpc#557 | Clenduros: "We were on our way back from the Yatiko colony when we picked up this packship. We altered course, they started pursuing us. They hailed us when they began to catch up, started - NPC@annpc#557 - demanding that they board us in the name of your Coalition to check for Horde influence. Look, the last time my ship was boarded by Lupan and half my crew were mauled to death and /eaten/. - NPC@annpc#557:- They weren't just taking our cargo, they were going to take us too, to save for later. If a Guardian ship hadn't been in the area and picked up the distress call, I would've been livestock! And I - NPC@annpc#557:- can't count on there being convenient Guardians around every time, so I dropped a bundle of gravimetric charges, knocked the Lupan out of warp and made a run for it." Rianni@crystyl nods, "I understand your position and sympathise, truly. I assume you are aware of the Horde problem and how they are influencing people without their knowledge at least?" NPC@annpc#557 | Clenduros: "Of course I am. The Horde wiped out my civilization. And if the Lupan are really turning their bloodlust on them, that's great. But a huge Packship chasing after you demanding to - NPC@annpc#557:- come on board, what sensible freighter captain /wouldn't/ make a run for it?" Rianni@crystyl:"Indeed. I can't deny that the Lupan are imposing, and by their very nature they throw their weight around. But their Sisterhood is indeed an ally of our Coalition and they are working as the Lupan - Rianni@crystyl:- here claim. Would you then be willing to accept a compromise if the Lupan will also agree?" NPC@annpc#557 | Clenduros: "What's the compromise? If you want to come on board and check for Horde influence instead, be my guest. You don't look that scary, and you've been helping so far by talking the - NPC@annpc#557:- Lupan down from attacking my ship any further." Rianni@crystyl:"That is indeed what I propose. But with nothing but my word to go on, I would not expect - nor ask - the Lupan to entirely entrust their duty in this to me as a stranger. I would like for a - Rianni@crystyl:- strictly limited number from both my ship and the Lupan to conduct the assessment together. My people will perform the influence tests with the Lupan witnessing" NPC@annpc#557 | The Clenduros nods, "Very well, but have your people come armed. You're all wearing some kind of uniform, so it looks like you know what you're doing. If the Lupan start attacking, I'll need - NPC@annpc#557:- your people to protect my crew." Rianni@crystyl nods, "I would have it no other way as my people have to defend themselves. Remember you are as much as an unknown to us as the Lupan are to us, as we are to all of you. But yes, this is the - Rianni@crystyl:- of the Valley Forge, or the 'starblade' as the Lupan fondly call it. We are recognized representatives of the Coalition at it's very core and I promise you that we will take every necessary step - Rianni@crystyl:- to see that everyone walks away from this alive and satisfied. Now if you will please allow me a moment; I must convince the Lupan to agree to these terms" NPC@annpc#557 | Clenduros; "Go ahead. We'll await your arrival." Rianni@crystyl smiles and nods off to her side in signalling a channel switch NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal switches the channel and the Lupan appears on the viewscreen again Rianni@crystyl:"Thank you for your patience. I believe we have a way forwards" NPC@annpc#557 | Lupan: "What have you worked out with the Clenduros?" Rianni@crystyl:"They are fearful of you because of past experiences with your brethren, an understandable situation no doubt. They have agreed to allow the inspection as long as it conducted jointly by your people- Rianni@crystyl:- and mine. We will board each with limited numbers, and we will be armed. My people will perform the influence test under the watchful eye of yours. The inspection will be without bias and remain - Rianni@crystyl:- respectful of our joint intrusion into their home. You may also perform your own influence test on us if you wish it" Rianni@crystyl:"Will this be acceptable?" NPC@annpc#557 | The Lupan nods, "That is acceptable. I will prepare a small team to send over." Rianni@crystyl:"I shall do the same, thank you" she bows her head in gratitude NPC@annpc#557 | The Lupan turns to bark orders at his pack and the comm cuts Rianni@crystyl exhales deeply NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Not bad. Don't think Keelah woulda done much better herself!" Rianni@crystyl:"Thanks Ann. Now just to get through a distrustful meeting of Lupan and Clenduros in close quarters..." NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Planning on going in person?" Rianni@crystyl nods, "Of course" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "I suggest bringing Rasnik with you, he's one of the best fighters we have on our little crew." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "My thoughts exactly. Vusal, you feel up to playing doctor and conducting the influence tests?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal nods, "Of course, Captain. I am the logical choice for the role." Rianni@crystyl:"I'm glad to hear I can be logical when I try" she chuckles, "Alright, let's grab Rasnik and get this show on the road" Rianni@crystyl | Emma joins Rianni as she stands, taking her hands close. The two share a look of understanding before Rianni steps away and Emma takes up the chair --- NPC@annpc#557 | Rianni, Vusal and Raznik gather in the transporter room of the Aethon, which also doubled as the armoury due to the compact nature of the ship NPC@annpc#557 | Raznik: "You said you wanted us armed for this, Captain?" Rianni@crystyl nods, "Even if our hosts hadn't insisted on us coming armed, I would not have us going in any other way" NPC@annpc#557 | Raznik steps over to a locker and opens it, "These basic disruptor pistols are probably closest to standard Starfleet phasers, but they're not the best for firepower. I recommend one of the - NPC@annpc#557 - disruptor rifles, but if you're not the rifle type, the plasma pistols are pretty good. If you really want heavy hitting power compressed into a pistol, I found a few antiproton ones, but they - NPC@annpc#557 - can be hard to handle." Rianni@crystyl takes one of the plasma pistols, "This will do for me. It's more for show anyway - I hope... - but even if does turn south, it does not matter what gun is in my hand when it comes to the Lupan. - Rianni@crystyl:- Have either of you dealt with them or the Clenduros before?" NPC@annpc#557 | Raznik: "Only in training sims, but the Colonial Fleet taught us how to fight both. Both of them are fast, but the Lupan tend to use their speed aggressively to close the distance and take out - NPC@annpc#557 - the enemy as quickly as possible. Clenduros like to evade, they're very nimble and have quick reactions." He takes a large plasma rifle from a nearby locker. "That's why I'm going with this. - NPC@annpc#557 - Pulsewave's perfect for stopping a Lupan's charge, and unless you've got great aim, it's usually a better idea to hit as big of an area as you can when it comes to Clenduros, especially in - NPC@annpc#557 - closed spaces like a ship. Only so much room to dodge." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Smart. What about you Ensign, any prior experience with either of these groups?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "Only some with the Lupan. I will take one of the plasma pistols as well. I am trained in the use of rifles, but I am not a combat specialist." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Alright. Like I said, I'm not planning on violence. But the situation is tense, we must be ready. Ensign, if anything does happen I want you to call for immediate evac for us all" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal nods, "Understood." NPC@annpc#557 | Raznik checks his rifle before looking to Rianni, "Ready to go when you are, Captain." Rianni@crystyl:"Let's make this work then" she heads over to the pad NPC@annpc#557 | The team follows her onto the pad and Hurdan taps away at the transporter console NPC@annpc#557 | They disappear into transporter beams and rematerialize in the transporter room of the Clenduros ship, where the Clenduros captain awaits them with two of his team, all of them with pistols on - NPC@annpc#557 - their belts Rianni@crystyl steps forward, "Captain" she offers simply in greeting now they are face to face NPC@annpc#557 | The Clenduros Captain greets in return, "Captain. Welcome to the Cosmic Cetacean. I'm Faelon, and these are Melorn and Jirsan." Rianni@crystyl:"You can call me Rianni. These are my officers Raznik and Vusal - he will be conducting the influence testing once the Lupan are ready" NPC@annpc#557 | Melorn: "The Lupan are transporting over now." Rianni@crystyl steps clear of the pad, letting her group stand together to one side NPC@annpc#557 | Three black-furred Lupan materialize on the pad, all of them females. One carries a large blade across her back and a pistol on her hip, while the other two have rifles on their back. All - NPC@annpc#557 - of them have scanners in their hands. They step off the pad towards Rianni and her team NPC@annpc#557 | Blade-Carrying Lupan: "We will scan you first to make sure you are clear of influence." Rianni@crystyl looks up, holding firm and confident. She nods, "Scan away, you will see we all have Coalition inhibitors and no influence" NPC@annpc#557 | The Lupan scans and views the results before nodding and tapping a communicator on her belt, "Ketaar, they speak truth. Stand down our weapons." NPC@annpc#557 | She looks back to Rianni, "I am Aliz, mate of Alpha Ketaar." Rianni@crystyl:"I am Rianni, mate of, um... well that's not important. Thank you for supporting this compromise. If you are content, my officer will conduct the scan of Captain Faelon and his crew" NPC@annpc#557 | Aliz nods, "Proceed." Rianni@crystyl nods to Vusal and turns to Faelon, "I promise this will be just as non-intrusive as the scan you just saw them perform on us" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon nods, "We're ready. Go ahead." NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal performs the scan on Faelon first, then the two crewmembers beside him, announcing after he is complete, "They are clear of influence," he steps over, showing the results to Aliz Rianni@crystyl smiles looking to Aliz for acceptance of the results NPC@annpc#557 | Aliz: "The Captain is not under influence. That is a good start. Now, let us ensure the rest of the crew are unaffected as well." Rianni@crystyl:"Captain Faelon, please would you lead the way" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "They're gathered in the engineering room, cargo bay and bridge. I'll take you there." NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon leads the way to the small bridge of the freighter first. The crew tenses visibly at the sight of the three Lupan, but don't react any further upon seeing their captain lead the way NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "These people are just going to quickly scan you for Horde influence. Won't take more than a few seconds." Rianni@crystyl:"Go ahead Ensign" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal steps forward, quickly scanning the remaining bridge crew before announcing, "All clear," and showing the results to the Lupan, who nod in approval Rianni@crystyl:"If that satisfies everyone here, I suggest we move on to the next group so that we can get back out of these good people's way" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon nods, "Follow me to Engineering." NPC@annpc#557 | After a short walk, Faelon leads the way to Engineering, where Vusal repeats the process, taking a little longer due to the larger volume of crew here. Once again, he announces that the crew - NPC@annpc#557 - are clear of influence and shows the results to the Lupan. When everything is done, Faelon leads the way to the last few crewmen in the cargo bay NPC@annpc#557 | Again, Vusal scans the crewmen and shows the results to the Lupan NPC@annpc#557 | Aliz: "That should be all of them. The numbers match the lifesigns we detected from our ship. It seems this crew is clear." NPC@annpc#557 | Aliz looks to Faelon: "Apologies for the damage. Next time, it would be easier to cooperate." NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "How was I supposed to know! When your people show up, it's usually bad news for us." Rianni@crystyl raises her hands a little to the pair, "An understandable misconception, I'm sure we can all agree. Let us just be grateful that things have worked out for all this time and take our lessons away - Rianni@crystyl:- to remember the next time" NPC@annpc#557 | Aliz nods, "We will return to the Packship and continue our patrol. I will try to advise Ketaar to be less aggressive and more...persuasive next time we must search someone." Rianni@crystyl:"It may at least be prudent for your Alpha to try and remember that a lot of people in this region have suffered at the hands of Lupan. Not necessarily your pack of course, but they don't know the - Rianni@crystyl:- difference. Sometimes a little empathy can go a long way to making our own lives easier" turns to Faelon, "And equally so, immediately running from the Lupan only made you look more suspicious to - Rianni@crystyl:-- them which made you seem like an enemy threat. Responding with equal respect and showing - not eagerness per se - but willingness to cooperate if level terms are met, could have helped you this - Rianni@crystyl:- time without putting the packship on a hunt before they even reached you" NPC@annpc#557 | Aliz: "We will keep that in mind when dealing with the locals of this region." NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon nods, "And I'll try to react less impulsively next time, now that some Lupan are fighting with your Coalition." Rianni@crystyl:"The Carrans are also working with us, so perhaps they could help to keep their contractors better informed as well" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "Oh, this isn't a Carran contract. We work with them at times, but this was a supply run to the independent colony of Yatiko." Rianni@crystyl:"Apologies for the assumption. We recognized your vessel's signature from their records. Still if all is said and done here, we should return to our respective vessels and duties" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon nods, "Thank you, Captain, for coming to our assistance." NPC@annpc#557 | Aliz nods and taps her communicator, and a few seconds later, the three Lupan beam away Rianni@crystyl watches the enigmatic exit, "...bye then" turning back to Faelon with a smile, "It is our way, Captain" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "It's good to have you around these parts, then. We did promise to reward anyone who came to our aid- is there anything we can offer you?" Rianni@crystyl:"Sadly we are not operating full time in this exact region. We are returning to the front lines from a mission critical to the war effort and must make haste. That said, as your sensor have no doubt- Rianni@crystyl:- told you since we decloaked; our vessel has a very minimal power signature. She is a small ship and we have had to push far beyond her operating capacity already. If you truly wish to share - Rianni@crystyl:- gratuities it would be most beneficial to our mission if you could see you way to accomodating a small power transfer so that we may expedite our mission without the need for additional stops" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon nods, "After our chase with the Lupan, we don't have too much power to spare, but we'll give you what you can. If you're in need of power, I can point you towards Yatiko colony. Fuel - NPC@annpc#557:- isn't their primary export, but they produce enough to sustain themselves with a little surplus to refuel any passing freighters." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "I would be most grateful for the information. It is unlikely though that this colony will be within reach of our primary route" Rianni@crystyl:"So anything you are able to spare without putting yourself at a compromise would be greatly appreciated" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon smiles back, "I'll give you what I can and send you the location of the colony and other refuelling sites in the region." Rianni@crystyl:"Thank you. Then let us get out of your way and return to our ship" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "Safe travels, Captain." Rianni@crystyl:"And to you" she smiles, tapping her combadge, "Aethon, three to beam back" NPC@annpc#557 | After clearing up the situation, Rianni returns to the Aethon's bridge Rianni@crystyl steps onto the bridge to be welcomed by a relieved smile from Emma as she vacates the chair Rianni@crystyl sits, "So what did we miss?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "The Lupan ships have warped away. The freighter is preparing for a power transfer with us." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "Excellent. Hopefully they also come good in sending us details of a nearby colony with the facility to offer refuelling" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Power transfer is beginning now." Rianni@crystyl:"Can we monitor their power levels as well?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal nods, "I will do so, Captain." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Not that I expect them to, but I want to make sure they don't leave themselves too short" NPC@annpc#557 | After a short while, Suhani announces, "Power transfer has stopped." NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "They have remained true to their word. They have provided all the power they are able without endangering themselves and sent the details of the colony." Rianni@crystyl:"Open a channel" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal nods and Faelon appears on the viewscreen again Rianni@crystyl looks up with a smile, "I just wanted to say thank you one more time, Captain. These are troubled times for the galaxy, and it is not easy to place trust in new friends on faith. Though the odds - Rianni@crystyl:- are against us, I would certainly consider us fortunate should our paths cross again" Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles to herself and mutters, "Seems /someone/ took her Keelah pills today" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "And I hope to run into you again as well, Captain. Good samaritans are too rarely found in these parts. But for now, we must go our separate ways. Thank you for coming to our aid. We - NPC@annpc#557 - won't forget how you've helped us today." Rianni@crystyl:"Nor will we forget your kindness in helping us on our way. Godspeed to you Captain" NPC@annpc#557 | Faelon: "And good luck to you." Rianni@crystyl bows her head before the comm ends Rianni@crystyl then deflates in her seat and looks over to Suhani, "So with all said and done, how much has this little distraction cost us?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Looks like the power transfer they gave us makes up for most of the power that's been consumed by the cloaking, transporting and warp travel, so we're only down about two hours - NPC@annpc#557 - or so of power overall. Not a massive loss, all things considered." Rianni@crystyl:"A price worth paying for the lives of that crew" looks the other way, "What about this colony they sent us details on, I don't suppose it's on a direct line of our route?" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "Not a direct line, but fortunately we will not have to travel in the opposite direction either. If we maintain our course for three more days, the deviation should only cost us - NPC@annpc#557:- approximately nine hours at cruising speed- a worthwhile loss if it means obtaining more fuel." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Then let us get underway. In the meantime, perhaps we'll be able to get that buoy operational too" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann nods, "I'm sure I can get it workin' with three more days. Takin' us back to our original course for now." NPC@annpc#557 | The Aethon jumps back to warp and the stars stretch to starstreaks on the viewscreen Rianni@crystyl:"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I think we've got the right to feel suitably proud of our actions here today. Perhaps enough so to treat ourselves to a little bonus out of the - Rianni@crystyl:- provisions" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal raises a brow while Ann smiles, "Ya did well in ya first proper negotiations as Cap'n! Think it's a good cause as any for celebration!" Rianni@crystyl:"We all made that it happen together" she smiles NPC@annpc#557 | Ann smiles back, "Thanks Cap'n!" NPC@annpc#557 | Later in the day, the crew gathers in the mess hall to celebrate the successful resolution of the distress call Rianni@crystyl joins the gang as she arrives later NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Congratulations, Cap'n! We were waitin' till ya got here to begin on the food!" Rianni@crystyl smiles, "Thank you Ann!" she grabs some of the food, "I know I said this on the bridge before, but I'll say it again now everyone's here; I think we've managed a real victory here today. No great - Rianni@crystyl - battle or galaxy shaping politics. But even in these desperate circumstances we are in, we proved able to hold true to our values and salvage a delicate situation. And it is thanks to the - Rianni@crystyl - efforts of every one of you. So I guess I just wanted to say... thank you, all of you!" NPC@annpc#557 | Hurdan: "And you did great too, resolving the situation without any violence or bloodshed. Many would say that's the greatest victory of all for a Starfleet operation." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Exactly why I wanted to share this moment. Yes, I did a lot of the talking as was my role in it but you all played your roles too" NPC@annpc#557 | C'Sera: "It was a team effort. All crews need everyone working together, and I think we've worked together well so far." Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "May not be a victory in the strictest sense, but I think that's as big a cause for celebration as anything else!" NPC@annpc#557 | Togu nods, "So what happened up there on the bridge? Suhani mentioned it was all a big misunderstanding between the Lupan and the freighter?" Rianni@crystyl:"Yeah, the Lupan were patrolling for the Coalition to weed out influenced anarchists. The Clenduros fled them because they thought they were raiders or pirates from past experience and so the Lupan - Rianni@crystyl:- grew more suspicious". she summarizes, taking a seat around the team table NPC@annpc#557 | Lao nods, "I can see why. Even in the Valley Forge's relatively short time out here, we've seen Lupan raiding innocents and even came under attack from them a number of times ourselves. People - NPC@annpc#557 - who live their whole lives here probably like to avoid them by instinct." Rianni@crystyl nods, "Hopefully now at least this particular pack will be more thoughtful of that as they do seem to be loyally carrying out their duty for the Sisterhood" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "I hope so. Maybe with time, they'll be able to change their reputation as raiders and pirates, like we Orions are in the process of doing for our people." Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles, "Might take a while, but we can live in hope!" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann looks to Rianni, "So how's it feel like, doin' negotiatin' an' all like Cap'n Keelah does?" Rianni@crystyl:"Arguably the scariest thing I've ever had to do" she chuckles NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "Yeah...say the wrong thing an' everybody might start shootin'. Can't say I envy Keelah's job!" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "But you did well projecting an appearance of confidence. Without that, I don't think you would've managed to talk them down." Rianni@crystyl:"Same. I'm sure this would have been nothing for her, not even giving any of it a second thought. I'm just glad I've gotten to see her in action enough to pick some of it up, that's why I wanted to - Rianni@crystyl:- be on her bridge in the first place after all!" Looks to Suhani, "That was easier with the Lupan because I've dealt with them before" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani nods, "You said something about having hunted with them before?" Rianni@crystyl:"Something I learned from Captain Vix is how one story can be told many different ways" Rianni@crystyl | Emma snorts: "Like the 'shadow hunter' dropping the 'god of war' to his trembling knees with one swift strike?" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann laughs, "Must've been where she learned it from!" Rianni@crystyl groans, "Um, yes... something like that I guess..." back to Suhani, "It was the first time we encountered the Lupan, and Tiah in fact" Rianni@crystyl:"We were exploring and stumbled across the Lupan pack who were hunting Tiah, though we didn't know it at first. They took us prisoner at first but we managed to build a rapport with them. When one - Rianni@crystyl:- pack was killed they performed a death ritual. Like how Klingons howl, you know? Well, I joined in with them in that ritual and as a result the Alpha acknowledged me as a friend of their pack. He - Rianni@crystyl:- made me wear this 'trophy' from the fallen hunter, as everyone who participated did" she pulls the necklace clear of her collar to show again NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani nods, "So that's why this Alpha recognized it. But you didn't actually hunt Tiah, right? That's how she got on board the Valley Forge." Rianni@crystyl:"Indeed. We did not know what was going on at first, the Lupan - a new alien species we were keen to make friends with - were hunting 'a deadly predator', so we were obliged to tag along and help if- Rianni@crystyl:we wanted to get on their good side. But our Tiah connected with T'Quila and she is the one who saved Tiah from the pack, forcing them to abandon the hunt in the end" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "But you still got the trophy, so you used it to your advantage with this pack." She smiles, "A smart move." Rianni@crystyl:"It's all down to tactics and strategy" she smiles NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "Speaking of tactics, how'd you like our first use of the cloaking device? Or have you had experience with cloaking tactics before with the QanwI'? I know most Starfleet ships don't - NPC@annpc#557 - field them by default." Rianni@crystyl smiles, "You all did great, especially with such an untested system! I've seen a little of cloaking use on the QanwI' but most of what I know about cloak-specifics tactics are from study alone" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani smiles back, "I'll do my best to give good suggestions, then. I've never /commanded/ a ship, but I've managed tactical plenty of times on ones with cloaking function." Rianni@crystyl:"Hopefully we won't have need of it again any time soon. But maybe when we get back to the Forge you should put in for some working tactical with us on the bridge?" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "If Keelah'll let me, I'm only an engineering specialist, after all." Rianni@crystyl:"I would gladly vouch for you if it is something you wanted to pursue" NPC@annpc#557 | Rasnik smiles, "Thank you, Captain." NPC@annpc#557 | Ann: "An' maybe when ya get a proper Starfleet command, we can join ya as your senior crew!" Rianni@crystyl chuckless, "I couldn't ask for more!" NPC@annpc#557 | Suhani: "What about you, Emma? You said you turned down a higher rank to be Ensign. How're you settling into a First Officer role here?" Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles, "It's hardly the same as being XO for a large crew like the Forge. Stars, even the Forge isn't like a crew the size of ship like the Forge any more. But yeah, I'm not really doing - Rianni@crystyl:anything special; just picking up the slack when someone needs her beauty sleep or decides to break protocol and take herself on a dangerous away mission" she teases Rianni@crystyl chuckles sheepishly NPC@annpc#557 | Ann chuckles, "True, probably not much different from Rianni takin' over on the Valley Forge bridge when things are quiet!" Rianni@crystyl | Emma: "You're not wrong, but a big crew often makes the XO into very tight role. All the relentless staff and resource management, personnel reviews, everyone looking to you to shape their - Rianni@crystyl:- futures in line with their young ambitions. Then on the other side you have your Captain; the powerhouse and figurehead that must always be so. The biggest challenge for any XO is learning to read- Rianni@crystyl:- their Captain - to prop them back up on their pedestal when needed, but doing so in a way that doesn't show you are doing it. Also knowing when to call them out and when not to, being ready and - Rianni@crystyl:- willing if needed to stand up to them and protect your crew. The same crew you usually act as the Captain's blunt instrument with to keep them in line and make the sure you're always the bad guy - Rianni@crystyl:- so the Captain never is. That is being an XO, and that is why the Forge no longer needs such a person, and why we don't here" NPC@annpc#557 | Vusal: "An excellent point, Ensign. For us, the XO role is simply the second person in line to supervise the bridge. The more challenging aspects of the position are only necessary in a crew - NPC@annpc#557:- that is not very familiar with each other." Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles: "You understand the intricacies well, I see. It is a nuance which is often lost on young officers. I have seen far too many in my time who rise quickly through the ranks with - Rianni@crystyl:- overconfidence because they excel at their duties, then get lost and fail when it comes to senior command" Rianni@crystyl slowly looks to Emma Rianni@crystyl | Emma smiles, patting Rianni's hand, "But then are those who do understand, balance their development and end up commanding their own ships at very young ages because is it simply where they - Rianni@crystyl:- belong!" Rianni@crystyl hrms, comforted by the platitude, but all too content to lay it on thick with the doubt, "I appreciate the sentiment but you really shouldn't keep blowing all this smoke up my backside, lest I - Rianni@crystyl:- start believing you" she chuckles, secretly wanting to believe of course NPC@annpc#557 | Ann chuckles, "Well ya doin' a good job provin' her right so far, Rianni!" Rianni@crystyl:"I made you all a promise that I wouldn't let you down, and that I'd get us home safely. I... just want to make sure I don't end up breaking that and letting you all down" NPC@annpc#557 | Lao smiles, "I'm sure you'll see us through. Emma's right, I've seen a lot of younger Commanders who can't handle command. You've seen us through almost half a week already, on our own, - NPC@annpc#557 - without Starfleet or Coalition support." NPC@annpc#557 | Hurdan: "And the Valley Forge is probably out here looking for us- they could find us any minute now." Rianni@crystyl:"There's no probably about it. They are out searching, and we will soon be back with them. Then we will return to the Heart of War and finally end this conflict for all time" NPC@annpc#557 | Ann raises her cup, "But till then, here's to Cap'n Tierno!" Rianni@crystyl | Emma grins and joins in the toast NPC@annpc#557 | The rest of the crew smiles and joins in as well