ShiningSector

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

Adressing: @MST3K 4ever @Raylah @Randomness @Eviledd1984

"Interesting statement," came Gue'rach's voice, echoing from behind D'Artagnan and Mason, "You are nervous about the kind of fauna we might encounter and yet you are also eager in witnessing what lifeforms this planet has to offer. That is the sense of adventure, Ya'arani. It is the experience of terror and travel; learning the lessons of danger and beholding the rewards of what nature and perseverance can manifest."

The Auval’kotor pushed forward ahead of the two despite the loads of supplies and equipment he carried. Several duffle bags containing medical instruments and survival gear hung from their straps, supported by his bulky left. While on his rightmost profile, Gue'rach carried something large over his shoulder, simply by its handle. Something that suspiciously appeared to be an anti-gravity trolley cart with a large metallic container magnetically connected to its platform. Apparently, this is what he meant by handling the logistics of their expedition.

"That said," he continued as he looked over to the both of them, "you will not have to worry about such threats. Your fellow security officers and I included will see that no harm comes to you."

For a moment, Gue'rach briefly looked around his surroundings and began speaking again; aloud and apparently to no one in particular, "though I must say, the planet is an excellent example of a significant rarity that has defied cosmic expectations. Consider the trinary star system we are exploring. There are far more singular star systems than those possessing more than one sun. Take that into account that we breathe in the oxygen provided by a habitable world, which is rare in their own right, that resides in such a stellar formation. Note that aspect, especially given that the ultraviolet radiation released by three suns would, in most cases, render worlds such as this one uninhabitable. Not only that, but the gravitational pull exerted by those same stars would also easily destroy the planet if it had fallen inside their - what do humans call it? - ah, their Roche limit."

Gue'rach allowed that sentence to linger for a bit, "allow that sensation to settle in and you'll find greater respect and admiration for the environment you now traverse through... especially for the one worm-like creature whose tail you had nearly stepped on back there. I'm surprised you had missed it."

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

Small update, I'll have a post up today after work.

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

"Apologies, Doctor, Lan'thar," Gue'rach replied, sounding sincere in his restating the Lavathulin's official title along with her name. After some time, Elm brought up the fair idea of another meeting concerning the upcoming survey expedition and how they would go about the mission. Geu’rach nodded in agreement with this proposal, “of course.”

After the briefing, Geu’rach set out to do as he had suggested and made his way towards the Prize’s security station. Upon arrival, most of the security staff had already assembled per a request he made along the way. The meeting was relatively brief as he delivered the mission profile as established by Captain Carabello and explained the parameters of the present situation. Most of the staff were familiar with ISA First Contact policies and thus, there were little questions brought forth. With a half-hour passing by, the Auval’kotor officer had his roster of candidates to accompany both teams.

He calculated that a lightly armed delegate would probably be the most appropriate when negotiating with an unknown foreign government. He motioned two stringent security officers to accompany the Captain and his team, only armed with standard-issue sidearms - no rifles: much too apparent and risked elevating threat generation - with strict orders to keep their weapons holstered unless the lives of the delegate members were under clear threat. Gue’rach sometime later had determined three officers, including himself, would be adequate to safeguard the expedition should any of the flora or fauna prove to be more hostile than anticipated. He surmised the planned armaments would also be light though he anticipated that any threats would be met with caution with only the intent to stun. Only he would have the authority to decide if lethal action would be necessary. Hopefully, that would not happen.

By now, the occurrence of attending multiple meetings with different groups of the ship within a short period was slowing grinding away at Gue’rach’s enduring patience and tolerance. Still, he knew better and dare not show it. Although, him exhibiting any kind of annoyance probably would not have made him any more imposing than what was typically the norm, as evident with his stern expression that rarely ever faded. Gue’rach, maintaining said stern expression, stared at the holographic display illustrating the I.S.S. Prize’s position and the surrounding foliage, noting some of the initial geological scans gathered during the ship’s entry through the atmosphere as well as the location of the abandoned ruins that were picked up.

“The plan appears sound, I have no objections,” said Gue’rach while his eyes remained on the display, “I’d imagine that if we were approaching some sort of site of religious significance, it would have been marked in a manner that would be easy for anyone to identify. We should be wary of such visuals to prevent any unintended trespassing. That, and noting any active native traffic in the area.”

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

I would be very interested in joining this rp, would their be room for one more?

@Eviledd1984

Yeah, we're still accepting and have some room left. Throw your CS our way once you have it done. I would suggest taking a peek at the Characters tab to see what ship positions are claimed, just to give an idea what role could be available and what you could fill in. If you have any ideas or questions, feel free to ask us (or PM).

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

As the I.S.S Prize entered through the wormhole, Gue'rach kept all four of his eyes fixated on his terminal, oblivious the visuals of the trinary star systems they had been deposited in. Briefly, he afforded one eye to look up to take in the local sensory information before withdrawing it back to the tactical readouts. Intriguingly, it had not taken them long to make first contact with an alien species. A single, rather small shuttle-type craft was on approach towards the Prize's vector though Gue'rach had already reported this find to Carabello several minutes prior. It was evident that the craft posed no threat to the ISA vessel.

The same couldn't be said regarding the much larger ship had jumped in from warp-travel and came to meet the Prize bow-forward at about a few kilometers apart. The vessel certainly seemed imposing but after several initial scans completed the assessment of the large unknown with the results appearing on his console, Gue'rach allowed some tension fade away. Despite its size, the alien's power output was notably inefficient in comparison with the Prize. Additionally, comparison scans had also identified a number of design issues that plagued the vessel's key systems; the issues in question were mainly equivalent to outdated technological leaps which have since been resolved nearly a less than a century ago. Despite there being no hostile intent, getting into a fight with the larger underpowered ship would nevertheless be an ugly venture, but one they could surely win.

While the tactical officer didn't approve of Captain Carabello's antics of annoying the escort by straying away from the guided path, the seemingly antagonizing gesture, at the very least, furthered the apparent oddball behavior of the aliens as they continued to speak through broadcasted text and kept their dialogue overly-simple and cryptic. It was quite clear they were religious sorts and Gue'rach had spoken with many religious leaders in the past and gathered a decent view of their practices and how they worked. If the behaviors witnessed were reflective of their culture and religion, he undoubtedly admitted they were by far the weirdest he had yet encountered.

---

Per First Contact procedures, diplomacy between representatives of each group was ideal. Niccolò Carabello would possess the authority to speak on behalf of the ISA and was therefore key to the delegation that would meet with the natives. Gue'rach on the other hand, given his role as a tactical officer and his naturally large and imposing presence, would not be an ideal participant in negotiations. A soldier in the midst of a political delegation and a conceivably scary one at that could give the wrong impression; Gue'rach was all too familiar with previous encounters which either spooked or unintentionally antagonized opposite delegates during such meetings. As such, he sought to bring his usefulness elsewhere.

"Since our current situation does not presently involve any dangers to act against," Gue'rach began, "I would opt to accompany Lan'thar in her studies and provide the manpower and logistical support required. I will also advise our security teams of the nature of our operation and assign members to accompany our two groups should they be required,"

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

I'll have a post up later after work, yesterday ended up being busier than anticipated.

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

If there was one thing that was true about Gue'rach, he was a workaholic. More than likely, the thought of looking forward to the end of one's shift had never crossed his mind. Granted, even he knew the importance of a long rest, but that didn't change the fact that the sense of duty had been permanently carved into his consciousness and persona due in part from his rigorous KIDF conditioning regimens. This is why he was compelled to fill in the scheduling hole the late-Rod had left from his passing. Of course, with the Prize having docked with Deep Solar 3, his temporary position would no doubt prove even more uneventful.

Although, the caveat to the job was that it permitted him to explore the ship. His Tactical officer duties essentially regulated him to a single position, which so happened to be the bridge. The only other places that would deem his presence suitable were the multiple areas throughout the ship pertaining to the Prize's weapon hardpoints and shield projectors. However, these sections were usually handled by the many engineering officers aboard and the only thing he could very well do was simply inspecting them and ensuring they were being maintained properly. This was however something he expected the more senior of the engineering staff to ensure. Perhaps in some specific situations, meeting with the Chief of Security and their staff regarding the defense of the ship and away missions would be relevant to his position as well. But all those cases were uncommon for him and thus, it was the bridge where he truly belonged.

Part of his patrol path crossed into the second level of the engineering deck, where upon arrival, Gue'rach would observe an interaction with several engineering officers in a collaborative meeting with the station's maintenance and repair crews. The Tactical officer was not within distance to listen in on the actual conversation, but the holographic visuals projected at the center of their meeting displayed a simple representation of the I.S.S. Prize where several red-highlighted scars appeared over different areas on the external hull. It was probably safe to assume the different staff below him we discussing how to treat and repair each section. With his curiosity satisfied, he immediately continued on his way down the catwalk before eventually exiting the engineering deck.

Addressing: @Xandrya

It wouldn't be too much longer until an anomaly came before him. Or rather, she, had crossed into his path. While entering into a 'T' shaped intersecting hallway that lead to the residential deck which housed all the crew about the Prize, Gue'rach's four eyes were set on a woman whose face he hadn't recognized before. Although with a few hundred souls aboard, it would be difficult, even for him, to remember everyone's name and facial visage. He had just barely scathed by with a victory against Ensign Lorenzo during a team-building exercise-turned-competition where the goal was to match the names to all the correct faces of the crew.

The woman before him appeared dressed in something resembling Starfleet fatigues, something like a causal, off-duty uniform. She appeared legit in that respect, although the purposeful and careful slowness to her walk, along with her presumably curious, or uncertain, facial expression hinted to him that she probably wasn't sure where she was. Or perhaps she was trying to find something. Gue'rach allowed the thoughts to speculate further as he approached the stranger. His large form, paired with his increased pace would have given himself away to anyone in the vicinity as the floor slightly resonated the thumps of his heavy footfalls. Given their individual heights, Gue'rach had to space himself about a couple-feet away, careful not to unintentionally present an imposing or hostile posture while respecting the officer's personal space.

"Excuse me," he began, trying to sound courteous, "I could help but notice you wandering. Is there something I can assist you with?"

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

With the passing of a simple command, the battle was on. The Moray, feigning death, jumped to life as its major systems came to full power; the unsuspecting vessel had repudiated its apparent state of stillness and instead, adopting vengeful purpose through aggression. Despite the lesser grade of its comparatively lackluster armament, the Charon-class transport brought forth a full volley of disruptor beams into the portside of the pirate vessel. At what was practically considered knife-fighting range, the seemingly meager broadside slammed into the shield of the larger and unlawful ship, rocking its hull by the full-powered impact. It was undoubtedly a wake-up for the pirates, having suffered a foundation-shaking blow from an otherwise underpowered foe.

Seeing the threat before them, literally a whisper away, the pirates summoned their own reply in the form of a concentrated broadside of large plasma projectors. The lumbering turrets shifted in-place, setting their sights on the defying transport ship. But the Moray, now propelled by its now active engines, quickly moved beyond the firing arcs of the pirate ship's cannons. Aggression and speed were the smaller ship's only means of preservation as it glided just off the sizzling surface of the pirate vessel's barrier, tightening the distance between it and the blind points of deadly armaments arrayed against it. The Moray fired again, disruptor fire now pushing the ships apart.

With the pirate ship distracted by the impulsive fly that was the Moray, the I.S.S. Prize had then entered the fray, answering the call to battle with a quad-salvo of azure-lighted lances. Despite its shields withstanding the Prize's opening move, the powerful impact forced the offending vessel into a bow-forward dip in orientation. Setbacks aside, the pirate ship corrected is posture and lurched forward, ignoring the Moray's harassment and engaged the Prize. The later and intimidating vessel discharged its plasma cannons and rapid succession followed the dispensing of several ship-to-ship torpedoes. A devastating combination of firepower but repulsed by the Prize's shields.

The three ships were then locked into their attack vectors with the Moray keeping to the pirate ship while it and the Prize exchanged blows face-to-face. The space between the ships lit up with emerald, ruby, and sapphire energized-munitions, displaying a brilliant lethal lightshow while shield impacts gave off dazzling strobing effects that-

Gue'rach stopped writing and placed the datapad upon his desk.

A large frown manifested itself upon Gue'rach's tough and prominent facial feature as he reviewed his own writing. Apparently, he allowed his culture's societal method of recounting recent conflicts into official documentation to run amok. With an annoyed growl, the scrolled up to the top of his written work and highlighted several lines, prompting his datapad's auto-correct feature, empowered by Terran logic, to re-write segments of the colorful literature into cohesive and straight forward descriptors of the battle. Most of the report prior mainly contained time-stamped examinations of each action taken by him and the rest of Beta as they restored the Moray to operational functionality. Technically, the job was more of a literal makeshift ploy than doing any favors for the original crew of the Moray, especially when it involved turning a non-combat vessel... into a combat vessel. How his professional and procedural writing spiraled into a short story was beyond him. Actually, he was surprised he didn't include Commander Pearson's well-executed plan of dispensing a gaseous drug into the pirate ship's ventilation which happened the pirate's in their ability to fight a two-pronged attack against them.

That may have explained while his apparent interpretation of events seemed more, lively, than what occurred.

After going back and making corrections to his report, he continued from where he left off, explaining that at some point during the hostile exchange, the pirate ship's attacks had slowed and eventually ceased entirely, resulting in a victory for the I.S.S. Prize, along with the successful rescues of the hostages. Despite the victory, the hostages had to be treated while Beta team, assisted by additional engineers from the Prize, made the necessary repairs and adjustments to the Moray. Honestly, it would have been bad form to hand the crew back a ship that just saw combat. After a few hours, the Moray was fully restored to proper working order, now at operational capacity with the original crew taking over. With that, the ships left their separate ways. It was ironic though that despite being the more advanced and well-equipped ship between the two, it was the Prize that came out with battle damage that required the entire vessel return to docks for repair, thus delaying the crew's prior assignment. An annoyance for sure, but it is what is it is.

Upon looking through the corrected report, Gue'rach tapped the digital 'submit' button on the datapad, prompting the article to be sent and filed through official management channels. The Auval’kotor rested back into his chair, satisfied with his work. However, he only allowed himself a brief respite and before he knew it, it was already back on his feet. Gue'rach had volunteered to, temporarily, assume Sergeant Jvwuwh'vei... Rod's, responsibilities as a security officer when his main duties were fulfilled for the day. After donning his uniform once more, he headed out of his quarters to make the rounds around the ship.

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

<Snipped quote by Raylah>

Banned Encouraged

Just kidding- for real, they would probably allow it off-duty.

@Tortoise

Just as long as that stuff doesn't stink up the ship. Sh!t somehow spreads like explosive gas.

Aboard the I.S.S. Prize : An Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure

Is @datadogie still participating with us?