Away Mission Prep

Posted on Thu Dec 24th, 2020 @ 8:38am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Baeryn Whavi-Tonelly & Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly & Ensign Olivia (Carter) Voight & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Ryan Kade III & Ensign Andrew Carey & Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford & Ensign Ethal Luen

Mission: Season 4: Episode 3: Guided by Starlight
Location: Briefing Room
Timeline: MD 5 10h00
1505 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Phoenix had made the decision to send a shuttle ahead with Supplies and prep a landing zone for the colonists. She summoned the senior staff and several junior officers, including a senior grade cadet to the briefing room.

Andy had walked into the room, and looked around. Half expecting to be the last to arrive, much to his dismay he was the first to arrive. Well the Captain was here. This was his first actual time he stood in the same room as she was. He paused thinking of what to say, and what not to say. Sure his parents had been Commanding Officers of their own ships in their day, although brief with one taking a teaching position and the other taking a non starfleet advisory role.

"Captain Lalor." He managed to say after a short but noticable hesitation.

"Ensign, please have a seat" she waved to the many chairs around the room and table.

Looking around, he noticed a chair in the corner, and went for it... but he hesitated, should he seclude himself. Instead he picked a seat close to the front, hoping it wasn't reseverved for the senior officers.

Ethal was the next to arrive into the briefing room. She was rather nervous about this. Her first idea was that she was in trouble but then she had done nothing wrong so it was quickly dismissed.

"Ensign Luen reporting for duty" she addressed the captain formally as she did not want this to go wrong.

Victor smiled at Ensign Luen, he decided to follow suit. "Lt. Barclay de Tolly reporting for duty."

Damien stood outside the door to the briefing room. His first official mission briefing. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he wasn't going to find out by standing out here.

He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, before walking into the room. "Ensign Damien Blackford, reporting for duty."

Alicia had been sitting feet up on the sofa in her office updating personnel files when the meeting had been called. Putting away her files she headed to the briefing room, upon arrival and entry she nodded politely to all present, grabbing herself a drink from the replicator before moving to her seat. “Captain” she nodded to Phoenix as she made herself comfortable.

Baeryn entered the briefing room expecting to see at least one familiar face, to her dismay that wasn’t the case. This was her first briefing aboard the U.S.S Elysium, she had only been aboard a few days and unfortunately kept to herself during that time.

She smirked taking note of the crewmen before her, there seemed to be a line forming of them addressing the captain. Having not formally met the captain she thought it best to follow suit. Her betazoid senses picked up the heightened nerves of a few of them.

“Lieutenant Whavi, sir.” She gave the captain a small smile and note before taking a random seat at the table.

Lia now arrived at the briefing room, she had been working in her office when she got the call. "Guess we're about to go do something important Captain?" Her little aside was her way of lightening the mood.

A delicate ping could be heard just before the arrival of a young gold-uniformed officer in the doorway. Ryan had flicked his badge with the nail of his index finger, for luck, which produced the signature sound. Coming to a stop just within the threshold, his shining waxed boots snapped to attention side by side before he called to his Captain.

"Ma'am." Ensign Kade nodded in her direction, then moved to take the nearest unoccupied place opposite the senior end of the table.

Gary entered next and moved to take his seat to the right of Phoenix. He never looked to be in a rush, always in control. "Captain." he greeted her pleasantly before winking at Lia and nodding at everyone else.

Olivia walked into the briefing room and looked around for a place to sit. It was rare for her to be included in on one of these briefings. "Captain," Olivia said as she spotted an empty place to claim.

Miraj was next, hesitating between the end closer to the captain, and the end the other ensigns were congregating at. Then she made her choice, squeezing herself in between Damien and Andy with smile.

Arrianna entered the room and sat down. Curious as to what Phoenix had in mind for this part of the journey.

Naxea entered the briefing room and took her usual seat, wondering why she had been summoned for a briefing.

Once everyone was assembled, Phoenix looked them over.
"We are five days away from the Colonists planet at impulse. But it has been 35 years since the planet was scouted in anyway. So, I am sending a team to the planet. This team will be responsible for orbital updated scans and preparing a landing site in accordance with the position given by the Colonists all that time ago. Ensign Derani, you will pilot the Captain's Yacht."

Miraj beamed. "In something that can go to a warp ,we're barely a long stride away., We can be there and back again in two shakes of a duck's tail if we need to."

"Commander Salannis an Vantar will be in command of this mission. With Lieutenant Whavi and Lieutenant Barclay de Tolly as her second and third in charge. Lieutenant Commander S'hib, you and Ensigns Kade, Blackford and Carey will be working with Major Naxea and Private Laknema to secure the landing zone and patrol the area. The rest of the away team will be Lieutenant McKay, Lieutenant Sullivan, Lieutenant Voight, Ensign Luen and Cadet Rackthorn. Major Naxea, your Marines will be going with the away team to assist. You will need to select and additional 9 Marines to accompany this away team. I am sure you and Commander S'hib will be able to work between you on how best to keep the landing zone clear."

Listening to the captain explaining the mission, Ethal got more and more excited. Not only was she one of the chosen for this mission but she would be able to prove herself as a valued member of her crew. She could not wait to start this mission as planetary scans were her bread and butter and they would be an immediate help to some colonists that want to settle there.

"Captain..." Arri noted. "This group of people will not accept our help." She continued. "While some regard these people as primitive, even backwards. They seek the same thing we do, but at a slower pace. These people do not reject technology, or they would not be travelling to another world. They simply do not see technology as the solution to all of our problems." Arri mentioned. "They fear becoming slaves to technology."

"While I and Command understand that," Phoenix said calmly, "We are not willing to let them land where there might be hostiles. No one has scouted this planet in years and them going in blind is not an option Starfleet or the Federation is willing to take."

“Perhaps if we spoke to their leaders about this Captain?” Alicia looked Phoenix. “They’ll need to know that the planet is atmospherically suitable and the planet is tectonically stable for them to live on.”

"Once we know the answer to those questions Counselor e shall do so."Phoenix replied.

"Whatever we do, I suggest we do so within the confines of the Prime Directive." Arrianna mentioned. "I'm willing to make the argument that these people are a developing culture."

"Isn't everything we do in the confines of the Prime directive?" Andy replied as he looked around, it wouldn't be until after he had realized it was aloud than he slunk deeper into his chair. His first mission briefing, and already he was putting his foot in his mouth... or so it felt.

Ryan filled the silence, turning his eye to Andrew. "Worrying about the Prime Directive is mostly on them." He nodded towards the red-shirted command staff near the other end of the table. "Just follow protocol and your orders; everything will shake out in the end."

"Commander, you may argue and i know you will, but we are all following orders here. So, this is your team, I am having the Yacht loaded as we speak. You all have 30 minutes to gather your equipment and board the Yacht." Phoenix said with a smile. "Dismissed."

"Yes captain" Ethal said excitedly before getting up out of her seat and making her way out of the briefing room to grab her equipment that she needed for the upcoming away mission

Lia now stood up and looked at Phoenix, "I'll monitor all comm's traffic and keep a sensor lock on our party, never can tell if any hostile entity awaits the unlucky traveler".

"Very good. Make it so.But we will be out of range for a while." Phoenix said.

OOC: Our Captain's yacht https://www.obsidianfleet.net/database/captains-yacht-sovereign-class/