Arrival

Posted on Mon Oct 21st, 2019 @ 6:29pm by Commodore Jacob Kane & Lieutenant Dessame Sar

Mission: Shakedown
Location: Aquilon - Orbit
Timeline: MD-03
1208 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Kane watched from the front window of the runabout as the blue-and-green world grew in size ahead of them. A lush, tropical sort of world, it had all different shades of green one might imagine. Beautiful. Probably dangerous, too, under the wrong circumstances.

"Lt Mortigar, please start a sensor sweep running while I contact the surface. Lt Sar, take us into a low orbit over the resort," he ordered, half-turning to face the small viewer next to him and punching in a hail to the resort below.

After a moment, the screen changed to that of a bushy-haired Tellarite, who squinted at him in annoyance. "Yes!?" snapped out of his mouth.

"My name is Commander Kane, Starfleet has sent me and my team to retrieve some missing officers last seen at your facility," he explained.

"Ugh. Do you have a booking?" the Tellarite administrator squawked.

"I wasn't aware I needed one. We're simply passing through and will be on our way when-"

"No booking, no landing! That's the rules! Not even you Starfleeters can ignore the rules just because you think you're too important! Now go away!" The screen went black as the administrator closed the line. Kane glanced over his shoulder at the doctor sat behind him.

"Some welcome..." he sighed.

Jorge had been quietly organising the rear cabin and turning into a makeshift sickbay. The quarters were cramped and tight, but at least he wouldn't be too far from his patients.

Stooping through the door way he stepped into the spacious cockpit. "Well we now have something that looks like a sickbay." He remarked glancing at Kane who's jugular was pulsing hard. He back off and took the seat behind Dessame. Leaning forward he put on his best smile. "We didn't get much chance to speak on the ride over. Dr Melendez." He stated warmly. "I haven't seen you for a physical yet." He added a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Give it time, doctor. I hardly think now is the most appropriate time for a health check," Kane replied dismissively. "I truly hope we won't need your services on this trip when all is said and done."

Lieutenant Mortigar started the sensor sweep as was requested of him. In the meantime, he turned away from his display, having overheard Kane's interaction with the administrator. "Was that a Tellarite?" he asked. "Perhaps you should try insulting him. I hear that they respond favourably to that. Strange people they are..." Not that the Evoran had any experience of speaking with Tellarites. Somehow he'd managed to avoid the porcine race up until now.

"Maybe we can offer the Doctor's medical experience? I heard a story from Earth about removing a thorn for a large feline's paw and the situation had a positive outcome... I'd offer him a moisturiser, but I think their skin naturally looks like that." Dessame added to the conversation but all the time keeping her eyes on the console. "Either that or I can fake engine trouble and then make a dramatic landing. They can't stop us landing if we cant stop ourselves."

Kane nodded. "A cunning plan, Lieutenant. I approve. Vent a little of the plasma from the port nacelle and ease us into the atmosphere a little. I doubt their sensors will be able to pick up on the fact that we're faking it." He'd have to keep an eye on this one, he noted. She had a mind for deception, apparently. "Lt. Mortigar, I'm hoping you'll have at least a direction we can look in by the time we land."

"Thus far, sensors are not recording the Ensigns' bio-signatures anywhere on the planet." There could be many reasons for this of course. All it meant was that they would have to search for them the old fashioned way. "The only... advice that I can offer you, Sir, is that we should retrace the Ensigns' steps. We should find out where they settled once they arrived here and see if any clues of their whereabouts were left behind."

"Keep looking," Kane nodded "I don't imagine the locals are going to be particularly accommodating." He watched as the runabout started to angle downwards towards the surface. "And I'm really not in the mood to be hunting them through a jungle today..."

Dessame watched her console, controlling the descent carefully and making sure it looked as uneven as possible for the best optics. She knew that one slip of her hand could cause a potential problem with their fall and she didn't want it to become a real one. "Do we have a last known location for them? What their tastes were, or plans were?" Dessame asked. "If we cannot come up with a technological answer then following the evidence is the best solution." She continued. "There is also the possibility that they are in an area that blocks sensor scans. Sadly I don't know much about this planet to know if they have those." She finished tucking her hair behind her ear and looking back at the cabin for a second.

"Information is limited. I've met Ensign Stonn and he's your typical Vulcan, although he's still young by their standards and a fresh academy graduate," Kane explained. He was personally a little disappointed that he remembered so little of him. "Besides that I know very little about their habits."

Lieutenant Mortigar grimaced. They really didn't have much of anything to go on and the fact that they weren't going down to the planet the proper way only complicated matters. He rubbed his right temple with his fingers as he considered their options. What could they do? Sensors still weren't registering the life signals of the missing Ensigns. What would I have done on this planet after graduating from the Academy? Morty thought to himself. Perhaps something fun?

Taking his eyes away from the sensors for a moment, Morty brought up the database entry for Aquilon on an adjacent monitor and he scanned through its contents for several minutes. "Hmmm...." he muttered softly. "Aquilon has a number of tourist destinations to visit; including Ocean's Cove and a jungle safari." Morty turned his head towards the others. "I wonder what kind of animals they have there?"

"Stay on-mission, Lieutenant," Kane noted. "Take us down. We'll figure out the rest once we land and get a lay of things."

The Evoran only nodded. He'd only been considering the places where the Ensigns might have gone. Hopefully once they got down to the planet, things would unfold straightforward-like for them.

Dessame watched as the ground came at them with measured speed. To the untrained eye it looked like a shuttle out of control and heading for destruction but she knew what she was doing. Vent a little gas, look a little uneven and project an air of control panic and it was all good. "Going to be a bit of a bang people. Brace yourselves." she said about 5 seconds before there was a thud beneath them. "Welcome to Aquilon. Sorry for the turbulence..."

OFF:

Lieutenant Dessame Sar
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Athena

Commander Jacob Kane
Commanding Officer
USS Athena

Lieutenant Mortigar
Chief Science Officer
USS Athena

Lieutenant JG Jorge Melendez (PNPC)
Surgeon
USS Athena