[color=00aeef][b][ Planetfall | R207 Command Vehicle | Minutes before field deployment ] 
[ Chief of Security Gavon TreVayne ][/b][/color]

With the main objective in the team’s cross hairs, and Eccleson at the helm of the military personnel, Gavon wrapped up his review of notes he'd finally had a chance to glance over while en route to the [i]EM Zone[/i], the Beast Command Vehicle slicing through the thick vegetation with ease as he signed off on several of the reports. He felt a bit more at ease having Deputy Haas in command of Ark Security as he proved enough times in the past to be reliable and thorough. Of course running through analytics, status reports, and daily duty rosters wasn't exactly a highlight of the Chief’s day, but it was good to know he had recourse. A final message chimed in, the long awaited note from Natalie that had been at least an hour delayed -like many of his messages- due to the electromagnetic interference of the planet, [i]and[/i] whatever the hell the team was about to investigate. The corner of his lips curled to a slight grin as he read the note, never surprised what her twisted sense of humor would conjure up:

[b][color=00aeef][I]You still owe me a night out. So don’t die.[/i][/color][/b]

This was the first time in several years that he and his wife had been apart, spending most of their time working together to structure, or at times [i]restructure[/i], Ark Security and it's personnel. Some would say the process had been rushed due to time constraints, resources, or several other factors dealing with a need to vacate Earth as quickly and efficiently as possible. Gavon had to agree, the Agency wasn't perfect, and with the recent Devastator attack, a cyborg anomaly, and legal ramifications surfacing, there was still work to be done in order to adjust and refocus efforts to protect and serve the people.

He switched off the datapad and headed out to rally the civilian personnel who were assigned to field duty, [i]plus one[/i]. It seemed Mackenzie Newton was more of an asset than expected, considering the number of robotic assistance needed during a single away mission, her expertise would be invaluable on and off the ship. He chose to ignore protocol that would have otherwise grounded the girl and had her confined to the Nyx until the team returned to the Vitae, but there was no point in holding back reliable resources, and the last thing the Chief wanted to do was deal with a potential “stowaway” situation once again. Fortunately, this one had legitimate credentials...

Up in the navigation section of the command vehicle, Captain Eccleson was finishing communication with her team, delegating assignments as needed for various squads to fan out within the vast collection of ominous-looking orbs. Gavon noticed the expression on the young Captain’s face, even as she did her best to hide the doubt.

“This’ll be a cake walk, Captain.”  Gavon said as he stepped over to where Eccleson was standing, staring out at the orbs which was as unknown to them as the rest of the planet. “Whatever inhabited this area -and this [i]planet[/i] for that matter- is most likely long dead and gone. At the very least, we may find a few scraps of civilization beyond these things.”

“I appreciate your sentiment, Chief” She cracked a slight grin. “But I don’t like the idea of not knowing what I’m throwing my men into. Everything from here on is essentially [i]alien[/i] to us, and who knows what that might entail.”

“You can be sure no one likes to be surprised in our line of work, but as long as we’re smart about it and stick to recon & survey protocols, we should be fine.” He crossed his arms as best he could in the biosuit. “And besides, between foot soldiers and this tin can, I’m confident we have enough firepower to dispatch any forces that may be a threat.”

Eccleson stood silent for a moment, continuing to look past the trees and scan her eyes across the surface of the closest orb, following the etched lines that adorned it’s hard, metallic shell.

“I have no doubt you're right, Chief…” Her voice trailed off momentarily, until she turned and headed toward the main corridor.  “Let’s get this over with.”

------------------------------------

Several squads were scattered about, canvassing as far as the projected radius in the mission briefing, a large enough area that should give fair warning if something unexpected did occur. With Captain Eccleson and her military detachment holding the perimeter, Chief TreVayne was responsible for the protection of the civilian personnel, assigning two Agents per three-man science teams as well as dispatching several small hovering recon droids to scout ahead of each team. The problem, however, was quite noticeable as interference from the electromagnetic fields tampered with solid video feedback, making the droids less-than-efficient. With so many parts now in motion, Gavon did his best to group up the civilian personnel with a pair of Sec Agents escorting the science teams, noting any possible conflicts as they arose:

[color=00aeef][b]:: M. Newton | Micheal Smith | Agent S. Edwards | Agent T. Gurrera ::[/b]

[b]:: K. Anderson | Agent J. Tripp | Agent D. Lanis ::[/b][/color]

Lieutenant Rorq volunteered to spearhead a small geological team in hopes of collecting topographical data, as well as mineral samples from nearby structures to study once returned to the Vitae. And, along with field medic [b]Amara Locke[/b] and Sec Agent Phillips, Gavon accompanied the lead science personnel as they headed for the larger of the orbs nestled in a circle of thick trees and vines.