Away Team - LETS GO!

Posted on Mon Feb 19th, 2024 @ 2:18am by Avalon [ADMIN NPC] & Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Commander Rin & Lieutenant J'airesh Mora-Heath & Lieutenant N'vok Holv & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Teevs Dosivi & Legate Imik S'Niohun [Lia Taylor] & Lieutenant M'Tuuri Sh'iss [S'hib] & Lieutenant Nicholas Reece [Reece]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 4: Memory Lane
Timeline: MD9 04h00
2486 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

=== Shuttlebay ===

The Ship was prepped and sat waiting for its crew and passengers to arrive.

Nicholas stepped into the shuttlebay, dressed in the garb that he had chosen for the mission. Hidden throughout his disguise, he had his kit and personal weapons stowed, ready for quick retrieval and use at a moments notice.

Teevs wanted this over with. The closer they got to the departure time, the more anxious he was about something going wrong. His normal clothes felt tight for once, and he gently tugged at his shirt's collar to try and ease the tension as he approached the ship he was told would be used for their mission.

N'vok came up and gently set his hand on Teevs shoulder. "How you holding up, Teevs?" he asked.

"I'm alright... considering." Teevs shifted, the weapon concealed in his own clothes making itself known by gently catching on the fabric. If, for some reason, this ship didn't allow him to protect himself, he would be in a much more sour mood. Thankfully Mister Kyle approved of his aim during the target practice. "I'm ready for this to be over."

"As are we all, Teevs," said N'vok. "While I have ventured among alien cultures before, this is not one I would have chosen to explore. But we must do what is needed."

J'Air was next to arrive, kitted out with her faithful 'away' medical Kit. It was a very much concise version - in a backpack that had been put together in a bespoke fashion to make it accessible, as comprehensive as possible and yet light and readily portable so as not to be cumbersome. It was important for her to have a phaser, which she had slung in a belt mounted holster but as she had been discussing at training, she hoped to only have to use it on stun. She was ready however, to do what she must to defend herself and her crew-family in whatever way might become necessary.

She was secretly hoping the hideous things that might be awaiting them could have been misunderstood, but it was so highly unlikely that it really wasn't worth considering in actuality. She resigned herself to what was coming, and was thankful for the brave, able and proficient team she was surrounded by as they all gathered ready to leave.

Naxea entered dressed in black pants with a brown smock. Underneath, she carried an extendable baton, a knife, and a Tricorder. Energy weapons could be traced due to their signatures which is one reason why she didn't carry one. She noticed the nervousness of Teevs and approached him. "Take a breath and relax."

Rin arrived with a short sword hanging from her left hip, a replica of her Tavaran blade which she had lost in the accident. She also had several items hidden on her person. "Looking forward to this" was not the right way of describing her feelings. Still, she was glad prep was over and the mission was beginning in earnest, and she really did welcome the chance to do her job in the field rather than behind a desk.

"I fear we may only be making Teevs here more nervous," said N'vok. "Come, my friend, let us get aboard and stow our things. Please come along, Colonel." He matched action to words and headed into the ship giving Rin a polite nod.

Miraj threw open the boarding doors to greet the assembled group, dressed in tight black and white leggings and knee boots paired with a loose black shirt with a bright red waistcoat hanging open over it, all covered by a Lonian style hooded poncho, the deep cowl hanging down the back rather than drawn over her pink hair. "Welcome Aboard the Saucy Minx!"

M'Tuuri grinned at this, her clawed toe pads clattering against the deck as she walked past Miraj, glancing at her briefly to comment on the name. "Alwaysss the quiet onesss..." She said teasingly, even going so far as to swat her tail against Mirajs' hip as she boarded the ship.

N'vok moved through the ship greeting people, smiling, and handing out small triangular units about the size of a paperback book. "This is a passive receiver, it should pick up all broadcasts and store them. It is essentially inert and uses your body as an antenna so please try and keep it within 2cm of your bare skin. Yes, this has been approved by Lieutenant Rin. Also, please try not to lose them." He adds with a wink to those he thinks will appreciate the gesture.

"Approved by Lieutenant Commander Rin," Rin shared with a small grin. Informative, not correctional, as she was out of uniform and no one would know better. "Official as of yesterday. I'd show off the pip but..." she waved at her current appearance. "Lonian."

Nicholas overheard Rin speak. Stepping over to her, he smiled brightly and offered his right hand to her. "Congrats, Boss!" Then he added in a quieter voice, "I guess this means I can't refer to you by just Rin anymore, but as Ma'am." He gave her a lop-sided grin as he finished speaking.

"Thank you" Rin replied. "On duty, yes, I prefer 'sir.'"

"Are we there yet..." M'Tuuri grumbled as she moved further into the ship and away from whatever was happening behind her, hoping to find somewhere she could just sit and be alone.

Imik stood dressed in traditional Ojnas clothing, a dark brown long skirt and a tan coloured top. Over this she wore a long coat with many pockets for bits and pieces, this was also a dark brown in colour. Being unsure of all the parameters of the mission, she now entered the shuttle bay. Secreted on her was the traditional knife that all Ojnas carried when on operations, but she also had a garrot in her pocket. This was carried because of its usefulness in silent op's, her people had trained her well. She walked over to the ship and checked it out, it didn't fill her with confidence.

Looking around she waited for someone to tell her what was happening, the words of Colonis sounded a warning in her head. Her people were here, but they chose not to interact with the Thaih'ea because they thought them to dangerous.

"Well deserved, Lieutenant Command," said N'vok. "We will have to celebrate your promotion when we get back."

"Move along!" Miraj made a herding gesture to the crew still lurking near the door with a cheerful smile. "Crew quarters are upstairs a midships, the head towards the stern. Escape pods are downstairs port amidships, and emergency exits are wherever cracks open when the SIF fails."

"Lieutenant, to who do I report? Who is in charge here?" Imik stood still and didn't move when Derani made her movements, "I require information as to what is happening, I was simply asked to report here and given little in the way of what is planned."

Rin moved forward to address Imik. "Colonel Azhul is in overall charge of the mission. I head the ground team, of which you will be a part. Apologies for the last minute request, and thank you. The short version is we're going to infiltrate Thaih'ea for intel. We'll give a more detailed briefing once everyone is aboard."

Imik moved slowly into the vessel, she still wasn't happy with not having a proper briefing.

N'vok investigated the entire ship, making notes on a wristcomp he put together for this mission. Always wise to know where the exits and lifepods were and he needed practice in moving in his cloak, so it all did double duty.

Nicholas moved inside and started to look around, familiarizing himself with the layout of the alien vessel. "She seems like a cozy little number, he said aloud to no one in particular. Hopefully she's got it where it matters, should this mission go sideways on us."

"More than," Miraj said brightly, walking past him to get to the bridge. "I said she's saucy."

This was no time to retain feelings about the mission. Teevs swallowed his disapproval as he entered the ship, his training from years ago kicking in. Whether he liked the plan no longer mattered, if he wanted to get back alive and keep the people with him alive, he needed to be focused. He followed what others were doing, inspecting the ship, looking for escape routes and understanding where things were in case he needed to take control of a system. "The ship will serve its purpose," he said, more as reassurance to himself than in response to Nicholas.

"Enough with the doubt," Naxea spoke as she walked down the center, ensuring everyone was being seated. "Legate S'Niohun, welcome to the team. I'm certain your skills and abilities will come in use on this mission. This is strictly a Intel mission. We do not engage unless our cover is blown or about be blown. And let's not hope that happens because we will be greatly outnumbered and outgunned. If it's about be blown, we take down the target swift and silent. There will be prisoners and supposedly an arena for the prisoners to fight in."

On the bridge, Miraj connected up the padd with the translator to the helm, and pressed her thumb to the central divot there. Everything started to hum, the rainbow lights of the panels warming to life, and the pools of liquid rippled to life and the three balls rose out of them. Miraj rested her hands on them, flexing her fingers lightly on the top of the silver and rose-gold ones. It took the lightest touch, and they were swooping out of the shuttle bay, and towards hostile space. "Everyone strap in." Miraj checked her calculation on the padd, and then reached for the golden ball; with a sharp yank they went from almost stand still to warp 8, rushing for the Thaih’ean border, and the slave market beyond.

N'vok had only jest strapped himself in as the ship took off. "She's a nmble little minx," he commented.

Imik nodded as Naxia spoke to her, "Colonel, I have psychic abilities which may or may not aide this group. It could also lead to them being detected, would it not better serve the mission if I conducted any surveillance on my own?"

"Negative. Nobody wonders off. We have trained with partners and you will be with N'Vok," Naxea replied. "I am aware of your abilities and is the reason why I chose you to take my position on the ground team and I believe your abilities will be best served in aiding the team however you can. As far as we know these Thaih'ea aren't telepathic but use your ability sparingly Just in case there are other telepathic species."

"Sir, can a I speak to you a moment?" Rin asked the Colonel, gesturing they step away best as possible in the confined space. "Sir, N'vok has been training with Reece. As the Legate is replacing you, she would logically be working with your previous partner, M'tuuri."

"Right," she sighed tiredly. The mission hadn't started yet and she was already making mistakes due to her being tired as she mentally chastised herself. "It won't happen again," she removed a hypospray from a pocket and pressed it to her shoulder, releasing the stimulants into her blood stream before returning the hypospray to it's pocket.

"Legate S'Niohun, you will be with M'Turri. I apologize for the misunderstanding," Naxea stated, looking at Imik. "I'll be up front of you need me, Commander," Naxea said, turning back to Rin.

Imik bobbed her head in response to Naxea's comment, mistakes before takeoff didn't bode well for the rest of the mission.


=====

M'Tuuri stood in the narrow hallway that connected the bridge to the crew quarters, looking out across the small and unfamiliar control stations, watching silently as the pink-haired Boslic played with her new toy.

This ship was too loud, or at least everyone on it was she thought, hitting the odd-looking controls and shutting the door.

Silence, or at the very least, as good as it was going to get she mused, before padding through the rest of the hallway and walking onto the bridge.

"Don't worry," She said softly, letting Miraj know she was there. "I'm not here to chat..."

An uncharacteristic smile flickered onto her lips as she briefly looked at Miraj, the gesture vanishing as she lowered herself to the floor nearby and wrapped her arms around her legs, content to just sit there and stare out the viewscreen at the unfamiliar stars.

"Fair enough." Miraj wasn't too bothered as long as the Caitian stayed away, now would be a bad time for her allergies to kick in. "But if everything starts flashing blue, you may want to move."

She sighed quietly to herself as she talked , relieved that she could no longer hear everyone talking.

Naxea tapped M'Turri on the shoulder. "Lieutenant, why don't you go take a seat and get familiar with Legate S'Niohun as she is your new partner. I need you two to work together."

M'Tuuri had heard the door open, the familiar tap of boots that had been drowned out by the awkward noises this ship made. She knew it was Naxea and savoured the few seconds of peace she had acquired.

"Ok." She said softly instead of her usual defiance, dragging herself up before silently walking back towards the rest of the crew, where it was loud and stank of scent.

With M'Tuuri gone, Miraj had the bridge to herself. It wasnt a hardship, The Saucy Minx was a joy to fly, and she let herself be swept into the sensations of the new ship, so different from Elysium and Queen Anne. Lost in the thrum of her ship, she barely noticed the time passing until she saw the navigation panel flash, and she pushed back on the Golden ball, and dropped them out of warp, and cruising into the system of the station, and the rusty red planet it orbited. It would be just a few minutes before they reached the scanning boundries that marked the stations air space. She reached for the system wide comm. "Colonel Azhul, Commander Rin to the bridge please. We have arrived."

And here we go.... Rin said to herself as she made her way up to the bridge.

Naxea stepped onto the bridge from the connecting corridor where she had been standing, watching the shuttle enter the system. "Keep us steady," she said, taking a seat just behind Miraj.

The navigation pane pinged with blue lines, showing the indicated course, past the station and towards the planet. The pilot's fingers caressed the controls and they slid into the space lane for approach to the scanning line, the first big test of their cover story.

 

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