[b]Location:[/b]
[indent][b]Unknown Space - Outer Cluster Space[/b][/indent]
[indent][b]Aboard the Military Shuttle "Excelus", which is passing into the planetary atmosphere[/b][/indent]

[center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5f/90/e5/5f90e5a44aec44152f47eea2f4ea49c4.jpg[/img][/center]

[hr]

To explore beyond the borders of known space, to go beyond where the people of the Dominion had ever gone before...to go into deep space on a great flagship and scout out for other sentient life in the unknown areas of the Cluster. A long-term deployment, but a profitable one to boot...and it had gone well for a time. But now...  

"CAPTAIN, THE MAIN THRUSTERS HAVE GONE OUT!"

...now there was this crap.

The main engine was finally after that impact they had on arrival, they were running on auxiliary power, and now had been pulled down from orbit of an unknown planet. The damaged ship was being pulled down through the atmosphere like a hurtling meteorite. The main thrusters were also damanged...and now 'gone'...to boot. It was being one hell of a solo mission, that much was for sure.  

[color=9966CC]"Just pilot the damn shuttle, Private, and look for a location for an emergency landing!"[/color] the shuttle force's Valkyrian commander shouted aloud, barking orders at the pilot as she stood in the doorway between the pilot's cabin and rest of the manned shuttle, before turning to look back at the other crew members and troops on-board, [color=9966CC]"Barton! Make sure the Auxiliary Umbhite Engine is secure, and focus the current power flow to landing and guidance systems before reporting to the central cabin! Seres! Secure all remaining crew and personnel in the central cabin and prepare everyone for an emergency planetary landing!"[/color]

Their superiors had been pointing the new deep-space-scanners into an unknown sector, in an attempt to find more sentient life, when the faint residual of a familiar form of communications had been picked up. It wasn't Dominion, that much was for sure, but if they hadn't been  pointing the device at the right place in the right time they might have never picked up on anything at all. But once the missioon had been given the crew of the large shuttle had been jettisoned to the calculated location via gate....or as close as possible. Which had been nicely 'close enough' within some reason this time. A very lucky thing. Yet from here they followed their next orders, and ventured farther into the gate-less system to see what they could find. 

Or so had been their goal.

"Captain, I see a wide and clear area, with signs of vegetation and-...wait, is that a field of crops?!"

[color=9966CC]"By the Queens-...never mind! Just land us in it as best as you can if that's all we've got! That's an order!"[/color]

Then all of this had happened right after arriving. The dangers of slingshotted gate travel...no matter how calculated, they had been tossed into some form of space debris on arrival and been forced to move along on backup power and a partially-working main engine for several days to get here. Then they'd taken up orbit in the atmosphere of a seemingly habitable planet, hoping to scan it for resources to rig some repairs for their ship, before the remaining parts of the main engine fully and suddenly failed...and the systems keeping them in orbit failed in turn. 

But despite the pilot's attempts to slow the shuttle's bullet-like trajectory towards the ground, even Commander Eir herself had to admit that the scene before them was strange. Field of crops, signs of civilization, and yet there had only been one sentient life sign they could detect right before the engine failure and their sudden descent. Though with little time to think about what was going on, the survival of herself and her crew was Eir's top priority. They could apologize to any, ah, 'locals' later. 

To those on the ground or observing otherwise, the shuttle was like a falling star shooting towards the ground. Its heat shield kept it from burning up on entry, at the very least, though the ship was visibly trying to pull up and attempt an emergency landing. After what felt like tense moments, however-

[center][b][h3]*BOOM*[/h3][/b][/center]

A thunderous crash roared out through the planet's air as the shuttle hit a hard landing, barely at enough of an angle to hit the ground and begin skidding somewhat. Its underside thrusters were destroyed, the bottom of the hull was shredded, and by the time the shuttle came to a stop its right wing had been entirely torn off as it had finally flipped over a few times. Yet the landscape was not much better. Large amounts of dirt and crops had been rent asunder, dust and light debris floating back down like a cloud, as if some celestial projectile had just obliterated them. At the end of the visible streak of farming carnage, however, sat the heavily damaged, slightly smoking due to the heat dissipating across its remaining frame, and most surprisingly "upright-sitting" shuttle. 

[color=9966CC]"...D-Damage report...anyone...alive?"[/color]

Eir shakily returned her Umbhite knife to its sheath, the glow that had been covering her enhanced body since right before impact fading away gently. She'd been tossed around like a rag doll...but she knew she'd be fine with her Umbhite abilities. More importantly, however, was the status of the rest of her crew. Struggling and propping herself up in a sitting position, leaning against the twisted wreckage of the doorframe she had once been standing in, the Valkyrian looked to where the human pilot of her shuttle had been sitting. She could see his body still strapped into the chair, helmet even still on, and yet he didn't even so much as move. From the looks of it, his neck had snapped...much like the headrest of his seat visibly had been...though the obvious large shards of glass and metal sticking through his chest and out the back of the pilot's seat would have ensured his death anyways. 

Cursing under her breath, Eir then looked the other direction...only to find that the central cabin was at least 'intact' at the very least. It had been built for such an impact, to hide crew and personnel in for an emergency crash landing, though the obvious denting and damage to it from her side was not the best sign. At least the emergency internal doors had shut to keep the crew inside safe. Though while still grunting at the soreness and pain that still wracked her body, Eir pushed herself to barely stand up and walk over to the closed door. She slammed her clenched fist against the dense metal, before shouting-

[color=9966CC]"Is anyone alive in there?!"[/color] 

Silence. 

[color=9966CC]"Seres, Barton, report!"[/color]

More silence. Eir gritted her teeth.  

[color=9966CC]"...Damn it all-!"[/color]

Then a cough, or two. Other small, shuffling sounds could then be faintly heard through the metal door. Eir paused. 

[color=orange]"Commander...i-is that you?"[/color] the voice of an Antean female called out.

[color=9966CC]"Seres, you're alive! What's the conditions over there? What about the others?"[/color] Eir called out in return in her own shouting voice, anxious thoughts about the rest of the crew racing in her head. 

...Silence again. 

[color=orange]"Not all of us made it, Commander. Barton is dead, he...he and most of the engineering crew with him never came to the cabin here."[/color]

Eir felt her heart drop into her stomach. Barton, the rare male Valkyrian adopted by humans that he was, had been a damned good soldier. He'd been a friend for many, even, after some time serving together, though his behavior could get on nerves. But hell...he'd even head out to drink with the others if they needed an ear to listen. But of course that idiot, that selfish piece of shit, would let himself die just for them to get that extra degree of safety in landing!

[color=orange]"Myself, as well as Privates Cleopatra, Holt, and Denmar, are alive though. I am unsure where the rest were...or...'are', Commander."[/color]

Eir let out a long, drawn out sigh...before looking up at the door again. At least they had one left who knew his way around the engine room. 

[color=9966CC]"Acknowledged, Sergeant. I will need help getting this door open, but...even our pilot's dead, so we need to begin salvage and escape protocol to establish our location and the nature of this planet. It seems there are natives, but life signs read only one on this entire planet before impact. 

Something strange is going on here, so be ready for anything."[/color]

A sigh of resignation could be heard from the other side of the door, before the queen Antean on the other side spoke once more.

[color=orange]"As you wish, Commander."[/color]

[@bloonewb] (and [@AdorableSaucer] in case they control/use Jane later or something XD)