[b]24 September 2190
USF Arcadian - Bridge / Corridor / Hangar Bay[/b]

Alistair maintained his rigid posture as Captain Lauzon gave the go-ahead. His warning about unnecessary risks really hit home. On the surface, Vance may have seemed indifferent, but he took the weight of command very seriously.

"Understood, Captain," the XO replied. "The goal is data retrieval and security. I will ensure both teams prioritize safety. We will move by the book."

As he turned to leave, Vance caught the tail end of Dr. Schrier's hurried departure. His barely contained excitement was understandable, but was a variable that would need to be monitored. Science and exploration were the focus of the overall mission, but a possibly distracted scientist was a potential liability. They have to keep a close eye on him.

Walking towards the elevator, Alistair's comms chimed with Sadek's report. "Copy that, Major," Alistair responded as he stepped into the lift. "I am en route to Hangar One now. I will be assigning Dr. Schrier to your team. Be advised: he is an eager one. It is understandable, but ensure he does not wander off-mission while chasing sensor readings. I'll be taking our linguist on my team. Be sure to have whatever we need is prepped and ready for insertion and exploration of that ship."

The lift doors opened to the bustling activity of the hangar bay. The smell of recycled air and ozone filled the space as technicians prepped the necessary equipment shuttles. As he moved towards the locker bank where his personal gear was stored, Alistair noted the hard, organized work done by everyone here, as well as their nervousness when he walked into the area. Unlike the marines, his own gear did not fully require the "pyjama" that the marines needed, but it was no less a feat of engineering.

Vance slipped into something more comfortable before putting the reinforced composite astrosuit on. The USF insignia, as well as the Eden flag, were visible and caught the overhead lights. He checked the seal on his gauntlets and holstered his sidearm - the USF standard coilgun that was both cleaned and maintained.

Seeing the marines of both squads arrive, Alistair spotted Sadek. He noticed the stenciling on their armor - a "frontier" personality he'd normally frowned upon. After taking a good look at it, he sighed and said, "I know I'm a hard ass, but I'll allow it. Morale is high today and we need to keep our spirits up high as this is the official start of our exploration mission."

"Major," the XO acknowledged as he approached the boarding parties. He turned towards the specialists, noticing their anxious demeaner. Alistair raised his voiced so that it could carry throughout the hangar. "Listen up, people. We have officially crossed the threshold into unknown space. This is the first of many. That derelict ship is not just a graveyard to study, but a library of knowledge that we can use to learn about Polaris, learn about the galaxy, and more importantly, for the betterment of humanity. No one breaks formation, no one touches anything until we have a better idea of our new surroundings. We are the eyes and ears of the Federation. We are the first in a foreign system and the first on a ship that isn't human in origin. Let's act professional."

He looked at Sadek and gave a decisive nod. "Let's mount up, Major. The universe waits for no man."