Star Trek: Theurgy

Day 03 [1000 hrs.] The Coreless Moon | Away-Mission

(https://uss-theurgy.com/w/images/d/da/Coreless-Moon-by-Pascal-Beeckmans.png)

Mission Log, stardate 57505.36. We are five minutes out from entering orbit of our destination. This "Coreless Moon" of treasure. I can but hope it is not as empty as the name suggests.

The past three hours have been... interesting. It is times like these where I curse being born Andorian, since even with my eyes closed, my antennae can - besides detecting temperature and air pressure change and subtle variations in air flow - hear a range of sub-sonic sounds. They think I don't hear them, yet I do, and would they know... they would have been far less candid. Most of it hold no relevance to me, rather being an obvious cause of embarrassment on their part, but I refuse to acknowledge some of the more... graphical comments about me. By Lor'Vela, if they were Guardsmen, I would either have rammed my fist through their teeth... or taken them to the subterranean springs beneath the ice so that they could try and live up to their innuendos.

At the very least, I think I have learned to know these officers a bit better, along with the scavenger. I do not trust her motives, much less her. Then again, I have grown to trust very few in my life, and I can but hope Sera vers Aldnoah proves me wrong. At least she has proven herself to be quite a pilot, having navigated dense clusters of sirillium pockets at full impulse for the past twenty minutes. A feat I, admittedly, would not have been able to pull off.

As for the Radiant... I can but hope Mariner, Bremmer and I won't have to look out for her at every turn. Especially if we are to enter the deeper ruins of this site. Compared to the dilithium, it is a mere curiosity - at best - so if it ends up too time-consuming, I will order the search aborted and lay in a course back to the Theurgy. Our mission is more important that the archaeological findings of some ancient people that used to live in this end of the Quadrant.


[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SS Sabine NX-59846 | ETA 3 Minutes ]
[Show/Hide]Knowing that they were approaching the coordinates, having navigated the sirillium gas clouds for the estimated amount of time, Ida finished her written log and rose from her chair. She smoothed her uniform over her abdomen and then let one hand rest idly on the grip of her phaser pistol where it was holstered on her hip, and then she walked towards the front of the Sabine.

On the way there, she made eye-contact with Mariner, Bremmer and McMillan, who had also been in the back compartment of the small ship, and then she reached the Ridgehead and Fire Eyes. She said naught, eyes and antennae on the viewscreen as the nebula eventually parted for them... revealing a sight she could never hope to capture on canvas.

"Open a channel to Havenborn," might have been what she asked, but a number of other expletives were right behind her teeth. Before them, the mass of a Class B planet filled the viewscreen. It was Ithacae 3, with a tenuous atmosphere of hydrogen and sodium, if the sensor readings on the Sabine's monitors were to believed. Yet the sight of the planet was not what the small crew were looking at...

It was the moon that they were approaching. Or rather, what was left of it.

Once she had a comm link to the former SCO of the Grey Wolves, she spoke up. "This is Lieutenant zh'Wann. We are approaching the destination now. We will likely enter the docking bay of the outpost within a couple of minutes. What's your status? Are you seeing this, over?"

What manner of force could have torn an entire moon apart like that? At least it lived up to its moniker, even if it wasn't likely a natural phenomenon. She stepped aside a little bit, letting the rest of the away team see the viewscreen.

---

OOC: As the intro says, it has been 3 hours since they left the Theurgy, so feel free to summarise what they've been up if you wish.

Loose PO on the Sabine: 1) @Triage (Heather) 2) @Kaligos (Hi'Jak) 3) @CanadianVet (Eliska) 4) @Striker N7 (Mariner) 5) @Mathis (Sera, who lands the shuttle in the docking bay of the outpost in one of the deep crevices on the moon)
Loose PO in Fighter Element: 1) @Havenborn (Daniel) 2) @Josie (Rini) 3) @Doc M. (Tessa May Lance)

[ Heather McMillan (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Heather_McMillan) | SS Sabine NX-59846 | Approaching the Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Kaligos, @CanadianVet, @Striker N7, @Mathis, @Havenborn, @Josie & @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]With her tongue sticking out to one side, McMillan busied herself with a little game she had been programming in her personal PADD. It featured a fairly large yellow mouse with red buttons on his cheeks and a lightning bolt-shaped tail. The original game was much too violent for her liking, and she essentially took to recreating a much more peaceful and ideal game for herself from the original program. She doubted anyone would want to play it ever, but it suited her tastes perfectly. Messing with game mechanics wasn't helping her headache or the tickle in her throat very much. But focusing her mind on it sort of helped her ignore the irritants.

She thought that after Eve's help, she would have been on the road to recovery already, but if anything, she was starting to feel a little worse for wear. When she had awakened that morning, she felt far worse than she did the day before, but tried her best to keep it to herself. Chalking it up to stress and her frailty not being able to handle the rigours.

She wasn't like the gods she walked amongst daily.

She couldn't fathom her ancient Wisdoms and Loremasters, who spoke of serving the gods by protecting them from something unseen and unknown. How could they protect all the mighty sentients when they themselves were probably the weakest of the weak and the most fragile beings known in existence? A human child could kill a Radiant with a simple push. If those superior to them in every way couldn't stand up to something, how could the Radiant protect them from that which was greater? The train of thought caused her game to have a rather interesting segment involving the yellow mouse flaring up in electrical outbursts against shadowy foes. So maybe there was something for the more violently inclined.

She realized they must be almost at their destination because zh'Wann was on the move. Shutting off her PADD, she put it away and rested her palms on her lap as she watched the imposing Andorian and when they briefly locked eyes, she panicked and momentarily turned invisible, instinctively bending light around her, but it was only partial, so she looked semi-translucent. Which made her more embarrassed by the way she was being so frightened by everyone even though logic stated they had no reason to harm her so her trying to hide from them was odd. Finally bringing herself back to full visibility, she murmured a weak apology for her cloaking then pretended to be looking for something around her, and found a pair of discarded pants. She had no idea whose it was, but it looked like it belonged to a man. Leaving it alone she slowly sat back up, suddenly feeling dizzy and nauseaus.

She played with her lights for a while, waving her hands in front of her in a circular motion, "shaping" a golden ring, which she then "picked up" and placed over her head, letting it hover, her trademark floating golden donut thingy, and she grinned away at Bremmer and Mariner, before realizing she probably looked a right fool and turned her attentions back to zh'Wann, who had moved aside to let her see the Coreless Moon, and her light suddenly just faded away completely. Her skin returned to its fair complexion, her eyes a bright hazel and her hair a rich brown shade. But it wasn't just the horrific sight that caused that. There was something else...something...more. She leaned forward in her seat, staring transfixed on the moon ahead. She was imagining things, like a voice calling out to her from the planet. That made no sense to her. She possessed no latent telepathy or even a sense of foresight. So it had to be a hallucination. This fever was getting bad, but she didn't want to let it hinder her on her first away mission.

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak |SS Sabine NX-59846 | Approaching the Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Triage @CanadianVet @Striker N7 @Mathis @Havenborn @Josie @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]
For some reason, maybe it was the fact that Jack was currently sitting next to Sera in the co pilots seat of the Sabine, Jack had honestly believed that this part of the trip would have been much more fun. Instead he found his head was about to crack open, he had coughed more than once, and felt his eyes water from it. It was impossible for him to be getting sick, he had never been sick before. There wasn't a disease on Terra that could lay him low why would that change all of the sudden?

Even without being sick at the helm had expected this to be more fun, but conversations had been rare on this trip so far, he had run out of things to say after maybe an hour and a half into their voyage. At one point he had tried to get the members of the away mission to do a round or at least have a sing along, but the fact that they were cut off from the federations broadcasting networks also meant that they effectively had no radio, and that thought had pretty much died out as quickly as it had started.

The book he had brought with him had been difficult to focus on, even after he had increased the size of the writing. So it seemed that he had to give up on attempting to read the second book in the Lunar Chronicals, Scarlet seemed to have a motif of the big bad wolf and little red riding hood, and if that wasn't one of his favorite fairy tales on this side of the quadrant he didn't know what was. As much as he wanted to know what was going to happen in the coming chapters he had to also keep an eye on the sensor readings, navigating the explosive gas clouds and offering correctional information every now and then.

As the gas clouds started to part and the moon came into view Jack was thankful for the change in scenery. All this blue was starting to hurt his eyes. "I spy with my little eye."

Jack's consol started to take in information from the new location, small readings, that were of course scrambled by the radiation of all the gas clustered in it. "No life signs, No power signatures, and no signs of motion, but what we do have is large composites of Ditanium on the left hemisphere the exact composition of which is a little over a hundred years old. That would be our base."

[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | SS Sabine NX-59846 | Approaching the Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Triage @Kaligos @Striker N7 @Mathis @Havenborn @Josie  @Doc M.

One thing for certain, Eliska Bremmer positively hated shuttle missions.  Ever since the one that had ended up with her stuck in cube that was a four-foot cube designed to either entirely deprive her of sensory input, or overload her, the very thought of getting on board an auxiliary craft for a deployment outside of transporter range from friendly forces horrified her.  But she was still Starfleet, or at least she thought of herself as such; and if she had a job to do, she would do it as best she knew how.

And, truth be told, it felt a lot like one of those long rides on an assault shuttle during the Dominion War, and that meant she did what she had always done on those once equipment was seen to, and that was to sleep.  And going to sleep meant she didn't have to listen to Mariner either.  Seemed to her the man couldn't be serious to save his life, and must have had some sort of a death wish at time. And he insisted on trying to speak to her in what he must have thought was the dialect of her homeworld, but his pronunciation, especially with that accent of his, made it bloody hard to understand. 

But there was this skill soldiers everywhere since the dawn of time have mastered and taken advantage of: that was of waking up practically on cue when the mission was about to start.

As Eliska shook the last of the sleep from her mind, she looked forward to see the wreck of some planetoid.  And the first thought that entered her mind was that this operation would be a right duranium-plated bitch.  And the science egghead's words about it did very little to alleviate that particular notion.  Despite knowing she wouldn't like what she'd see, Bremmer rose to her seat and brought up a sensor repeater at the work station across from her.  "Gravity at 0.08G, enough radiation to cook us, and I'm not seeing an atmosphere in there." 

Turning around, the Security PO took a look at the rather... luminous Warrant Officer she was supposed to escort.  Now that one was something else.  She seemed entirely too happy-go-lucky to be out here in the thick of it, but she also looked a little flush.  But then again it was her first away mission in a Starfleet uniform, or so she'd been given to understand.  So it made sense she'd be a bit nervous.  "Now come on, Warrant; I've been told you're pretty new to this, so how about you come with me out back and we'll get you suited up.  Boys... eyes front!"

And with that said, Bremmer headed aft, to where the EVA suits, and the Security exosuits were stored.

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | SS Sabine NX-59846 | Approaching the Coreless Moon ] [Show/Hide]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Triage @Kaligos @Striker N7 @CanadianVet @Mathis @Havenborn @Josie  @Doc M.


James loved the concept of a real planetoid to stand on, even an OpFor-controlled moon would be the best thing for a groundpounder since Lunar or Vulcan survival training. There was just something about both a real terrain under his feet to clear his mind of cultists and terrorism, a fair fight. The war-hardened Junior Officer was brimming with excitement at getting to wear the most cutting-edge security exo-suit in his career; including his arsenal, which was to include a knife-- Mariner was no stranger when it came to bayonet fighting, fixxed or not. It wasn't his signature sidearm, but he'd had more than enough time over the last three hours to ensure both man and weapon could be ready for anything.

It was muscle-memory by now, and his pistol accuracy hit-miss ratio had always been well above average against both stationary and moving targets. Time invested on his father's MACO holodeck training holoprogram hadn't only been an enlistment gift, the elder Mariner trained his home country's municipal constabulary force with many tactics from the Romulan War era, his son included. Not just a handsome face, the Ensign was a gym jock as well, though he knew that aside from the anticipatory warm-ups, there was no time to impress if not simply beef up for wearing additional gear and armor. When he got the time and earshot, he sat next to Heather, opening up his own Padd and browsing his list of handheld programs. It was almost sentimental to meet a fellow gamer.

Mariner was interested in her PaDD game featuring some colorful chihuahua-looking yellow creature composed of electricity; he wondered what the appeal was in making cute and cuddly creatures fight one another for sport. That was, until he spotted several other creatures in the 'Go index' file, which categorized dozens of more impressive creatures of all shapes and sizes, from a hefty blue turtle with cannons on its back to a bee with two lances for arms and a Tyrannosaurus with wings. If he ever got into this little game, his priority was to get those three; it wasn't 'Mass Impact', but it was charming. Earlier in the flight, Mariner had taken the chance now and again to make use of the mission brief, reading it up a third time to psyche himself up, and had finished rereading about the latest in Starfleet combat armor he'd be wearing for the mission. It was an upgrade from the prior-generation variant EVA suits on the Resolve, and could finally give him back the ability, he hoped, to go fisticuffs against whatever was needed to guard against out there.

After a warm-up, and a few minutes watching Heather play, Mariner still nonetheless humored Heather with newcomer interest in her creature-game. Particularly impressed by Heather's light-based gifts, he complimented. "You're just a regular bit of sunshine, aren't you, Heather? The Galaxy needs more like you." he smiled, after a few appreciative reactions to her abilities and his ideas. "You'd definately get a rise out of Sharky, K'ren and F'rell with that."

Before James could learn more about Heather's species, Sleeping Beauty had apparently woken up, intent on getting first dibbs on the new armor. As if concerned for Heather's modesty but clearly supportive of Bremmer's incentive to test the new gear without the Lieutenant's direct say-so, "It's okay, she works for me." Jimmy uttered under his breath, excited to try soon be trying on his Security suit soon enough. "Oi, Bremmer: The pink armor with the Unicorn decals is Heather's. Don't touch the bad-ass one with the flektarn camouflage, and MACO detail, that's mine. I installed a jetpack on that one while you were asleep." Wishful thinking, as the outfits came in rust-color, and Jimmy did not know how to install a jetpack on anything. Thinking the Lieutenant might not react well to his humor, he held his tongue about the helmet with two holes and Antennae-shaped headlights being hers. He shook his head at her, assuring her he hadn't tampered with the equipment, not, in case the away team commander hadn't been watching him the whole time; he particularly behaved himself on this flight, keeping her at least peripherally in his field of view. More so with his back to Heather and Eliska, giving the ladies their privacy.

[ LT Daniel Havenborn, Callsign: Salvo | Cockpit | AC-307 Mark-II Valkyrie Hellcat] Attn:  @Auctor Lucan, @Blue Zephyr, @Josie, @Triage, @Doc M., @Striker N7, @CanadianVet, @Kaligos

Daniel had arrived in the system roughly 20 minutes ahead of the away team and the escorts, he had plotted a course towards the coreless moon which was definitely something that had to be seen with your own eyes and not something viewed on a viewscreen.  The sheer amount of damage to the moon was extensive, he had heard about accidents that could tear a planet apart but he’d never seen anything like this before, it was both incredible and terrifying all at the same time.

“Imagine the kind of power needed to rip apart a moon of that size.”  Knight said behind Daniel.  “Indeed, but we need to make sure the area is safe before the rest of the mission team arrives.”  Daniel replied.  “Initiate a level 1 sensor scan.”  Daniel said as he heard Knight acknowledge him and begin the scan.  It only took about ten minutes for the scan to complete and it from what he could tell the system was more or less clear, but there could be hostiles hiding so he’d need to remain ever vigilant.

A few minutes later Daniel picked up the arrival of the mission team.  He engaged his thrusters to join formation with them, at the same time he received a hail from the Sabine.

"This is Lieutenant zh'Wann. We are approaching the destination now. We will likely enter the docking bay of the outpost within a couple of minutes. What's your status? Are you seeing this, over?"

Daniel opened a channel to respond.  “Salvo to Lieutenant zh’Wann, we completed a scan of the area and it seems clear.  Your approach to the outpost should be clean.”  Daniel said.  He finally rejoined formation with both of the fighters and the Sabine.

Once Daniel had informed her of that he switched his communications channel to his pilots.  “Salvo to Goldeneye, escort the Sabine into the outpost and remain on hand to support them.  Honey Badger on my wing, we’re going to begin a combat air patrol.”  Daniel said issuing out his orders.  He wanted Goldeneye with the Sabine should they need another hand, but at the same time he didn’t want to leave their backs open to be flanked by anyone that might have been hiding and biding their time.  He’d be damned if he allowed the first mission as part of the Theurgy to go awry.

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | Cockpit | AC-409 Mk III Valkyrie ]  Atten:  Those on the mission

The stars of the galaxy had elongated into short glowing lines as the two AC-409 Mark III Valkyries (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=AC-409_Mk_III_Valkyrie) escorted the SS Sabine through the eternal void of outer space at warp six.   Scuttlebutt had it that that the Sabine was a prototype shuttle that Starfleet had constructed but didn’t pick up as a production model.  From what little she had heard the Sabine was last in private hands.  If so, the sleek spacecraft must have been used either by pirates or the Federation Intelligence Agency, because commercial vessels weren’t armed like gunships.   From her cockpit in her one man warp capable fighter, Tessa May Lance (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22), Wolf Three, callsign Goldeneye, figured that Starfleet Intelligence had been using it before the crew of the Theurgy had liberated it from Starbase 84.

When they reached the Ithacae System, the Sabine and her escorts dropped out of warp and the stars shrunk into glowing pinpricks of light.  The white blue haze of the Azure Nebula was still present, giving the impression that the craft were underwater.   Fortunately, her fighter’s sensors indicated that her wingman Zrinka Agaixot (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Zrinka_Agaixot,_callsign_%22Honey_Badger%22), Wolf Two, callsign Honey Badger was flying just starboard and aft of the Sabine, just as Tessa was flying behind the gunship on its portside.   Visual confirmation with the naked eye was almost impossible, not just because of the distance and darkness, but also because of the clutter.  As the three spacecraft glided through the system, the bluish sirillium gas was joined by dust, and debris that were pushed away be the navigational deflectors protecting her Valkyrie. 

Soon they approached what must have been their destination and the clutter was so bad that Tessa was tempted to activate her combat shields.   Once their destination became visible she found out why.

It was a moon orbiting the third planet of the system but this moon looked like it had been murdered and left behind in its orbit to die.  Not believing what her eyes were telling her, Tessa glanced down at her screen for a computer analysis.

Name: C-947e
Diameter: 504 km
Mass: 1.0194 x 1020 kg
Orbiting: Ithacae 3, Ithacae System
Orbital Radius: 237'948 km
Orbital Period: 34 hrs.
Inclination: 0.019° (to Ithacae 3's equator)
Surface Temperature: -155 °C
Atmosphere: Hydrogen, sodium, calcium & H2O vapor
Atmospheric pressure: 40 pPa
Cause of Destruction: Unknown

Cause of Destruction:  Unknown.  But the effects of that destruction were quite visible.  Great gaping holes were visible on its surface, exposing great cavities that threatened to eradicate its mostly spherical shape.  Then, before Tessa’s unbelieving eyes, as they glided around the shattered moon she could see amid the debris collecting in the center of the lifeless hulk orbiting Ithacae III the shine of whitish bluish light indicating that she could see clouds of sirillium gas on the other side of C-974e.  It was a coreless moon (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=The_Coreless_Moon), and if it wasn’t for the forces of gravity causing the shattered pieces to collect in its center it would have been possible to fly her Valk right through it.

Tessa’s observations were interrupted by a manly voice coming through her comm system:  "Salvo (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Havenborn,_callsign_%22Salvo%22) to Goldeneye, escort the Sabine into the outpost and remain on hand to support them.  Honey Badger on my wing, we're going to begin a combat air patrol."

“Aye-Aye Salvo, Roger that,”  Tessa responded.  “Goldeneye escorting the Sabine as ordered,” she added as she continued as set her Valk’s deflector shields on the lowest combat setting to protect her fighter from the cloud of debris obscuring the route to the coreless moon’s surface.  She reversed her Valk’s bussard scoops so there would be additional repressors to push the rubble away as she followed the Sabine into the boulder filled minefield that was between the Azure Nebula and the pockmarked surface of C-947e.

[ Ens. Zrinka 'Rini' Agaixot (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Zrinka_Agaixot,_callsign_%22Honey_Badger%22) | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 2 | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Triage, @Kaligos, @CanadianVet, @Striker N7, @Mathis, @Havenborn, @Josie, @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]Zrinka had been watching the sensors of her fighter quite closely on the way over, and could tell you the exact curves on the Sabine. It looked to be a very fine little ship.

Entering into the Ithacae System, Zrinka dropped in starboard aft next to the Sabine and Tessa, whistling as she saw the soupy mess they had dropped into,
"Honey Badger here, watch for any targets. Visibility and sensors won't work as well in this stuff."

Adjusting her fighter's shields for anti-debris protection as they got closer, Rini picked up the sign of the very large but badly damaged moon & the outpost - which was the target for this op.

Her fighter's sensors registered the arrival of Daniel's fighter, and she shifted back to give room as he gave directions. Grinning, Zrinka changed course, "Honey Badger to Salvo, Roger roger. Sticking to you like treacle on a hot day."

She didn't want to think what could be lurking out there like a peeping tom, ready to pounce at them, so Zrinka wanted to be prepared. The safety of the people in the Sabine was dependent on her, Daniel and Tessa, and neither of the three would want to mess up here - too many good people had been lost.

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | SS Sabine | Azure Nebula en route to The Coreless Moon ] Attn: Everyone

[Show/Hide]Sera spent most of the flight battling the headache she'd been unable to shake from the previous night. She'd not had sinus pressure like this in… well maybe ever. She led Sabine around another too-dense cloud pocket with one hand as she pinched between her eyes in a futile attempt to relieve the headache. There was a bit of chit chat, mostly from James, the male security officer that Sera found herself looking at more than once.

The trip had been mostly uneventful. There had been a few close shaves when they came too close to an unstable cloud or a random piece of space debris or asteroid came flying out of a different cloud, but only Jack would likely have noticed. Sera kept her composure, and Sabine gave a lot of help in her predictive auto-piloting. Also, Sera was a decent pilot after all these years, and she’d made this trip before, but she wasn’t too arrogant to recognize luck and assistance, if only to herself. Jack had seemed distracted for most of the trip, and she kicked herself for not seeing the reason sooner. He was under the weather, which was rare for Klingons and Klingon hybrids. She hoped he would be okay.

When the clouds around them became brighter and brighter, she knew they were approaching their destination. She was about to signal the fighters and inform the crew when she heard their mission leader say it all for her. She gave a light shrug and a roll of her eyes, she knew how much the Starfleet types liked to be in charge, Andorians especially. She’d go along with it, it was something she’d need to get used to after all.

She laid in the final approach for the landing site, the very old docking bay up ahead. “Sabine to escort, final approach laid in.” A few moments later, they were touched down. She turned and opened a compartment nearby containing her personal EVA. It was a fire red, the color of the sunset over the deserts of Câroon. She smiled as she prepared. She was back, and it was finally time to get her... their quarry.

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SS Sabine NX-59846 | ETA 3 Minutes ]
[Show/Hide]While hearing the sitrep, Ida turned her head when Petty Officer Bremmer started to prepare for suiting up, suggesting to the female scientist that she'd come with her to the back compartment of the small ship. Ida nodded quietly, deciding that she'd have to join them too, and their pilot would have to suit up last. The three Security Exosuits were in the cargo hold along with the two regular EVA suits that had been brought for the two scientists. Evidently, there was a Câroon exosuit back in the cargo hold that belonged to Sera vers Aldnoah, one of the few items that hadn't been removed while the Sabine had undergone its refit, and for that reason, a third EVA suit hadn't been brought from the Theurgy.

"Understood, Fighter Escort," said Ida after Fire-Eyes announced they were on course to the docking bay. "Set your patrol route close enough to report status every thirty minutes, starting now. You might have to get pretty deep into the debris field to re-establish communication with us. Good luck out there. zh'Wann out."

Having said this, she turned her blue eyes to the Câroon in the pilot's seat. "If the LZ is small, make sure there is room for one Valkyrie as well when you set her down, and you need to suit up as well before we head out."

Making eye-contact with Junior Lieutenant Hi'Jak and Ensign Mariner - the two men on the Sabine - she simply said, "I will bring your suits from the cargo hold so that you can change here. Not entirely sure how keen the other females are on preserving their modesty." As for herself, she was Andorian, and showing some skin was commonplace to her in thanks to her pre-exile upbringing. True to her word, after eyeing the decimated moon one last time, Ida headed into the back compartment of the Sabine, where a small sanitation module and two bunk beds could be found. She offered neither glance nor word to the two women about to don their suits next to the bunk beds, but went to the next door beyond them, which led to the cargo hold. She picked up the two large crates by their handles and carried them back to the main compartment, setting them down on the floor for the two men to suit up. She then went to retrieve her own suit.

Since the sanitation module - which was also a sonic shower - was entirely too small to change in, there was no real means for privacy next to the bunk beds. So Ida shed her uniform unceremoniously, all the way down to her Starfleet issue underwear, so that she might get into her old and worn Sec exosuit as quickly as possible. That didnt mean, of course, that she didn't glance over to the Radiant and the human that shared the small room with her - both being potential motifs for some very nice 'croquis', as some of the Pinkskins would call it.

[ 10 Minutes Later | SuD Lang Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ]

(https://orig00.deviantart.net/3b9b/f/2017/274/1/f/interregnum_04_05___klingon_outpost_docking_bay_by_auctor_lucan-dbp4ie2.png) (https://orig00.deviantart.net/3b9b/f/2017/274/1/f/interregnum_04_05___klingon_outpost_docking_bay_by_auctor_lucan-dbp4ie2.png)

After the Sabine had landed - the entry-point being a mere hole in the side of a cliff-face - Ida had given the order to secure the perimeter and to activate whatever environmental systems that were accessible on the outpost. Sera vers Aldnoah, after having suited up, had known where to go - having been there before - and eventually, the dark docking bay no longer relied on the light from the Azure Nebula outside the bay. Some of the docking bay's lighting flickered, as would be expected, but they had more than sufficient light to see each other across the big area. This was the time when the Valkyrie from the fighter escort landed inside the bay as well, and Ida raised a hand to signal to the Tac CONN pilot that the area was secured and she could step out of her fighter.

"Junior Lieutenant Hi'Jak," she said, and even if they were not standing close together, her voice was heard inside the helmets of the away-team, "could you please tell us what you've learned about this place so far?"

Having asked this, Ida typed a message to Ensign Mariner and Petty Officer Bremmer on her Forearm PADD to break out the three Type III rifles from the Sabine's cargo hold, along with the three Type II hand phasers for the two scientists and the scavenger. Just if there would be any sign of trouble. As it were, the three non-security members were unarmed, and while the mission parameters did not suggest hostile forces, Ida had a feeling she'd regret leaving the phasers on the Sabine. Then, she turned her helmet towards the Câroon on the second level of the docking bay, Ida's gauntleted hand resting loosely on the handle of her holstered pistol in wait for her rifle to be brought to her.

"Aldnoah, I need you to tell me where the dilithium cystals are at now, and where you found the sealed entry to the ruins. I would also like to know where this outpost's archive is at. Whatever communication or data logs can be found needs to secured, since this place is a violation of the Treaty of Alliance."

Her mission parameters were clear: Take the dilithium, investigate the Lightborn colony ruins, and neutralise the future threat to the Federation that the outpost represented. The last of which she had not hinted at until right then, when they were already there. Of course they were not to blow up the outpost along with the ruins, but as a threat to the Federation, all the data on the outpost would be brought to Starfleet's attention after the parasite threat had been dealt with. If the outpost was derelict, abandoned, and not in any way fit for a Klingon invasion, then there would likely be nothing for the Empire to answer to. Yet if there were signs of active use... it was another situation entirely.

Ida looked towards Heather McMillan, the Radiant, where she stood by the Sabine, and wondered how she'd fare on a mission such as this. At least there was a slim chance she could open the gate to the ruins below the outpost, making it worth her while, but Ida had a feeling she'd have to be carried all the way there. While beautiful, it was clear to Ida the female alien had not seen much action, and who knew what awaited beyond the gate to the ancient civilisation? She hoped her doubts could not be seen across the distance or through her visor when she looked at her - listening to the briefings from Hi'Jak and Aldnoah in turn.

---

OOC: @Kaligos , you are up next, followed by @Mathis . After this, I might as well post again with Ida splitting up the away-team, but everyone should feel free to post in reaction at this point. @Doc M. , let me know over PM if you'd rather have Ida order Goldeneye to remain in the Docking Bay or if you want her in company with anyone specific after they split up! :) 

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak |SS Sabine NX-59846 | Approaching the Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Triage @CanadianVet @Striker N7 @Mathis @Havenborn @Josie @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]
In the past few days aboard the theurgy he learned a few things, the top on his list. He hated EV suits. It wasn't so much Zero Gravity, though he didn't care for the sensation it also didn't make him nauseated. It was more that he was a pessimist and with these suits he felt anything could and would go wrong. In reality they were a well woven thick material that made a strong seal between you and the cold airless vacuum of space.

In practice it felt like it weighed nothing at all. Unlike the armor that security or pilots were allowed to wear that enhanced the users strength, and actually had plating, the regular EVA suit which Jack was struggling to put on in the locked room of cockpit of the sabine. he glanced towards Jimmy.

"So," He paused and gestured out towards the group of women just changing on the other side.  "Got a preference?" He decided that in the end he had to strip to actually make eva suit work for him. Taking off his shirt and pants. He changed with his back to Jimmy so that they could have some privacy. "Sera's a bit intense, but I like her a lot, I have some experience with her, we actually... well lets just say this isn't the first time I've gone pantless in this room, speaking of which if anyone finds any boxers I'd like to know where they went too." Maybe they had been sucked out into the vacuum of space when he had opened the door to speak too Komial, and at this point it was just more comfortable to forgo them entirely.

"Any idea what Heather's deal is? Or that Ida woman... she actually scares me." He sighed shaking his head. Slipping on his helmet, and making sure that everything was secure. "anyway lets get to work shall we?"

[ 10 Minutes Later | Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ]

The base was Klingon alright, there was iconography of the empire almost everywhere. Walking out in the low gravity, he was thankful for the magnetic boots keeping h is stride down. The entire place made him feel a little nausiated. Seeing some small amount of power returning to the station, he sighed. One would think that because of the hundred years of abandonment this place would be covered in dust, but exposure to the vaccuum had kept dust from forming, instead the ground was cracked having to deal with exposure to fridged tempatures and burning radiation. As he walked along he had made sure to carry his bag with him.

"Technically only a violation if it was ever activated during the treaty. All is fair in love and war after all." Though they were now activating it, which he was sure was going to end up getting them into trouble. This was exactly the kind of place that he did not want to be. He held a pad in one hand as he walked along the walls, checking for any consols that had survived the hundred years of abuse. When he finally found one, and started to load it, it read out in an older form of Klingon.

"Oh great. Excuse me I have to remember elementary Ghung*." Looking over the writing the consol ran on a much older progaming language than he was familiar with. The human equivlant would be showing a modern engineer a computer that ran on dos, it wasn't impossible to pick up, but it was a frustrating experience for all involved. So much for modern updates.

Hearing Ida ask if he had anything to report he put his pad down and set his com badge to talk to everyone. "Welcome to SuD Lang. This Azure Point mining facility was to be the refueling station for the empire. The first wave of war was to be sent from here should day when we can crush 'the enemy' ever arrive. Just so you all know the enemy in the instance is always the Federation, I'd translate what it actually says but I don't think the insult rolls off the tongue well."

~~~

Ghung* klingon for Programming.

[ Heather McMillan (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Heather_McMillan) | SS Sabine NX-59846 | Approaching the Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Kaligos, @CanadianVet, @Striker N7, @Mathis, @Havenborn, @Josie & @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]“Huh? Pardon?” said McMillan, blinking at Bremmer distractedly. Then she realized she had been gawking the whole time at the moon, right until landing time. She had lost herself in that moon before they even left the vessel. There was something about it that she felt drawn to. And her field of lights were shifting queasily, as if sharing with everyone her unease and awe. Then she remembered again that Bremmer had spoken to her, about changing? Into a suit, right, an exo suit. Can't very well go off with just a photonic force field now, could we? “Right, suits!”

She hopped lightly to her feet, and swayed a moment, feeling her head spin violently before regaining her equilibrium. “Lead the way, sir-uh!-ma'am! Ma'am.”

Mariner, aside from his horrific idea for meals (tasty sounding rations that punished you with acute constipation from what she could tell, thank you Bremmer, thankyouthankyouthankyou), seemed to enjoy gaming and her original commission of an ancient but well known game. It was a fun distraction for a while. And she listened in on all the various communications going around between the pilots and Ida, it began to dawn on her that she was officially going off a ship for the first time in a long while. It took her ancestors on Earth generations to get accustomed to the gravity. She was going to be absolutely horrendous on the ground.

Which was ironic considering her people were supposed to be natural adepts to any new culture. Like anachronistic folks capable of understanding, absorbing and imitating culture or language, but gravity? Gravity was a fiend to them. She prayed silently for mercy and that she wouldn't be an absolutely clumsy oaf when she set foot outside of the Sabine. The first thing she needed to do was get into these cumbersome and restrictive suits. She suddenly felt the odd impulse to throw off all clothes and run around a large open space in nothing...well, maybe a thin silk shirt and trousers at least, but nothing as restrictive and confining as what she was about to get into. Would her frail form be able to withstand the thing?

She barely stifled a squawk when Ida just dropped everything she was wearing except her underwear. Then she blushed and looked at a dull grey bulkhead helplessly. Her underwear was a tad more revealing, and...well, she wore them because Trent loved seeing her in these, but it occurred to her now that it wasn't kind to her modesty while on a mission like this. Still, at least the men were on the other side and not right there with her, and she had basically the same things Bremmer and Ida did. Taking a look at Ida, then Bremmer, she figured they had a lot more than her too, so, what did it matter? Awkwardly shucking her uniform, she grabbed the foot of the suit and tried to put it on. “Not easy to get into, is it?” she muttered with a grunt and tiny growl as she hopped about on one foot whilst trying to fit the stupid thing on. “C-come...on!”

She was falling, but tucked her body into a roll, careful not to bump into anyone as she continued struggling, “Rrrr! Hah! There...ow, ow, owowow!” Now she tried getting it off. “Wrong foot!”

Slipping back out of it, and looking most undignified, with her hair flailing around her like a mad coral lifeform on her head, she glowed a bright furious pink of embarrassment, but easily slipped it onto the correct foot. One down, the rest of the suit to go. Looking at the rest of her suit, then at Bremmer and Ida, she looked helplessly at them, “I'm sorry, b-but, can I get a hand here with this, please?”

She'd be at this forever if she tried it on her own.

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Docking Bay | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: Everyone

[Show/Hide]The landing zone was plenty big enough for Sabine and their fighter escort, despite Ida's worries, and Sera had managed to set down easily and leave room. She had wasted no time changing right there in the cockpit area, like she'd done countless times before, her red EV suit stashed in a compartment right by her seat. This meant that Jack and Jimmy would both have been given a quick show of her dressing down to her underwear and it didn't bother her in the slightest. In fact she kind of enjoyed it. She was dressed and ready to go, heading towards the airlock before the two boys had taken off anything. She gave them a smile and a wink before exiting the ship.

She knew they'd need and want lights and power going at least for the bay before getting everyone going, and she knew which way to go. She used the lights on her suit to lead her up to a second-floor room overlooking the bay and she began flipping some large switches. Soon the bay was lighting up and were it not for all the dust and cracked floors, it would seem like it was still operational. She watched from the overlook as others began exiting Sabine and as their Valkyrie escort came in to land. Anticipating Ida’s requests she began tapping on her padd, bringing up the map she’d made from her scans on the facility her first time here.

“The main dilithium is down this corridor towards the mining and storage areas,” she indicated as paths on the map lit up blue. “The ruins were nearby the mining operations here,” and a diverging path from the first lit up yellow. “Lastly, I never looked for any logs or anything like that, but from what I can tell, the main command area would be this way,” and a last path lit up red.

Finally when all the paths had been described and laid out she asked Ida, “Who's going with who again? Oh, and do I get a gun?”

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SuD Lang Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ]
[Show/Hide]
ThanIda remained where she stood as she listened to Junior Lieutenant Hi'Jak and Sera vers Aldnoah. Earlier, after having seen the kind of difficulty Heather McMillan had with a task as simple as getting into her EVA suit, Ida had decided to change the way the away team was split up. Obviously, while Bremmer had helped the Radiant with the task, she would have to be carried through this mission, and fortunately enough, one of the Lone Wolves would be able to assist moon-side. She watched how the Valkyre fighter landed, giving the one with the callsign Goldeneye enough time to power down before speaking again.

"So far, sensors says there is no indication that we'll encounter any hostile forces, so safeties on," she said, mulling over whether or not it was a good idea to arm the scientists and the civilian. She was especially loathe to put a weapon in the hands of the Radiant, knowing fully well she had no kind of Starfleet training, but with two others to accompany her, perhaps they would be able to keep an eye on her. "That being said... Ensign Mariner. Give vers Aldnoah her Type II phaser pistol and head to the mining and storage areas. You are to assess the amount of available dilithium, gather what you can and bring it to the Sabine. Let us know if you need Hi'Jak to bypass any security systems remotely, because he and I will be heading to the main command center to secure the logs. Junior Lieutenant, let's head out."

After being handed her rifle and one of the Type II phasers, Ida began walking towards the massive sliding doors that Sera had pointed out. She continued to speak over comms. "Junior Lieutenant Lance, would you please head down to these hidden ruins together with Petty Officer Bremmer and PWO McMillan? Bremmer, give her the hand phaser, and show her how to use it. Hi'Jak might be able to open any doors needed between here and the ruins after we reach the command center, but since Sera got there unassisted, I doubt that will be required." Pausing, Ida reached Hi'Jak's side and gave him his Type II phaser without further comment. She could give him any instructions as needed en route, but at least he had Starfleet training. "Everyone, limit open comms to your respective groups so that we are not all talking with each other all the time. If comms go down, this docking bay is our rendevouz point."

With deft movements, Ida checked the power level and setting on her Type III assault rifle before looking over her shoulder towards the rest of the away-team. "Get out your tricorders and alert the other teams if you find any 'monsters lurking in the dark'. We'll try to restore the environmental systems from the command center. Move out."

[ Ten Minutes Later | SuD Lang Command Center ]

It hadn't been too far to the base's Ops center, and whenever there had been security systems getting in their way, either Hi'Jak had handled the door mechanisms or Ida has used her rifle to cut their way through. Once they stepped into the abandoned heart of the outpost, Ida had began to assess the area with her tricorder.

"Try to give us gravity and air everywhere except in the Docking Bay, Junior Lieutenant, and then access the comm systems. I would like to take a look. I will alert the other teams that you can try and bypass any systems that are in their way."

Having given her orders, Ida circled the area with her rifle and tricorder, bringing to mind what Commander Trent had appraised her of in regard to the halfblood Ridgehead, wondering if he could be trusted, but remained assured that if he tried something, she was the one in his immediate company, and she would be able to take care of any unforeseen problems. With this in mind, she spoke to the scientist.

"I hear your superior officer was killed on Starbase 84," she said quietly without looking at the young man, her antennae moving within the confines of her helmet as she assessed the area. "How did that happen? I was not aware there was any fighting aboard the base before the Theurgy arrived."

---

OOC: Posting Order follows after Kaligos has posted and let Hi'Jak activate air and gravity. So, as you can see above you can you all either A) split your posts like I have done in my post here, between the arrival and 10 minutes later, or B) only illustrate when your team has reach its allotted destination (in the 10 minutes later time-frame) which will be letting us make some headway. Since Hi'Jak will have restored air and gravity, there might be spiders crawling out soon enough... So! Here goes:
 - SuD Lang Command Center: 1) Kaligos 2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) Striker N7 2) Mathis
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) Doc M. 2) CanadianVet 3) Triage

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | SuD Lang Docking Bay] Attn: 
[Show/Hide]
This place was abandoned long ago, so there was hardly anyone lurking in the shadows. Still being assigned to walk with Ida was a little more concerning. She still scared him, and he much rather would have gone with Sera, however there was a logic to this assignment. He was the only one who could work the controls of the command center, and keeping him under watch  was to be expected considering their location and how quickly it could all turn into a death trap.

The thing he didn't expect was to be handed a weapon. He paused for a moment looking over the hand phaser. He didn't know what to say about that, did that mean she was trusting him? He had to double check that there was a battery pack installed into the weapon just to make sure that the weapon was operational.

"Hey Sera, be careful." She didn't know much about who he was, but he did care for the woman, more than enough to tell her to be on her toes. The rest, well he'd be lying if he said that he hadn't been enjoying his time aboard the Theurgy. Turning to walk with Ida he still had to think about which was worse.

[ Ten Minutes Later | SuD Lang Command Center ]

Gravity, air and the access to the coms on the station. All things he was personally thinking of as well as he walked around the room. Like the rest of the station it had been abandoned in near mint condition, the stations purpose had been thwarted the day that Praxis exploded. Still the entire place felt like a home he hadn't been too in a very long time, with the familiar writing and iconography of the empire surrounding every step.

This was the empire at it's height, back in the golden age of warriors and generals. The empire of today was a mere shadow it's former self. Walking along the room he was checking consoles and among them he found something. Pulling it out, the old bronze and black handle of a Klingon Disruptor from the golden age was just sitting on top of the command console. "Check this out? I always wanted one of these."

Jack was clearly ignoring the question she had asked as he passed Ida back the hand phaser and kept the ancient Klingon weapon. After a few minutes of poking at the console he sighed. As much as he didn't want to talk about it he knew that the blue woman behind him would have more questions for him, and that this was at least some part of the point of putting her with him. "It's not exactly a moment I take pride in. His death wasn't the most honorable one."

"Before the Theurgy appeared there was a bomb detonation in the communications tower. A Romulan's head had exploded. I found evidence of the bomb's detonation order being sent from someone with captain level security clearance. So I handed it to my chief of security, and my captain." Since his meeting with Trent he had more time to work over the story and his version of events. Since the only other person who knew the full events of what happened in that room was Sera and she had been the actual murderer it had stood to reason that she wouldn't be talking about it any time soon.

He shook his head. "There were at least five captains on the starbase, but I drew the short straw. My CO was the traitor, and ordered mine and ensign six's arrest. When I returned to my lab intending to check on some findings, Simon the stations chief science officer and two security officers came to arrest me. There was a struggle, I managed to get one of the security officers weapons, but Simon lunged at me. I thought that they would have been using a non lethal setting so I turned and fired without checking what the weapon was set too. Turns out they wanted me more dead than I had first thought."

The lights around the command center flickered for a moment turning off, and on as the slow hiss of atmosphere started to flood out across the base. The feeling of weightlessness stopping as  gravity pulled at them.

"When they came to arrest me it wasn't hard to figure out that my captain was the traitor." One of his hands rested on the console the other on the new weapon he had found just encase this conversation strayed too far into subversive territory and the deputy of security attacked him. "I don't regret what I did, but I do dislike that it happened like that. Simon was an idiot who often stole my work, but I didn't kill him over petty reasons. It was an accident plain and simple. I was in over my head and I defended myself, had I been less clumsy or more prepared he would still be alive. I'm not a warrior despite my boasting to Trent I took no pleasure in what I did on eighty-four it was nothing personal just self defense."

"I may not love the Federation, and I certainly didn't like the people on eighty four, but I have no wish to see my homeland involved in a war it can't win. If the Federation is seen as supporting the Romulans while the Klingons are at war with them, than both sides get blasted to hell."

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner SS Sabine NX-59846 | Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ] [Show/Hide]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Triage @Kaligos @Striker N7 @CanadianVet @Mathis @Havenborn @Josie  @Doc M.


Jimmy enjoyed the view of the flight to the coreless moon, even if he was already developing complacency in his situational awareness of the Azure Nebula. It was a nice break in the monotony of the flight when the moon finally broke through the nebula. Mariner skimmed the Sabine computer's readouts of the moon, and as it approached, the readouts of the Klingon base. The shuttle landed with a satisfying metallic thud, and Mariner stood to attention when Ida gave her orders.

"Aye, Ma'am." (pronounced 'Mahm') Mariner nodded, he was in full game-face mode now: he traded his expression of a perpetual smirk for an alert and ready-to-fight regard. Jimmy kept his head forward-facing once Ida set the crates down and got to business. Jimmy made eye contact with his immediate superior, and made sure he kept his eyes where they belonged as he appreciated her delivery of two new exosuits. Mariner briefly considered taking a look as the lieutenant stepped aside, but Mariner had enough of an imagination to keep himself amused than to risk a demerit.

Earlier in the flight. Jimmy briefly caught a glimpse of a pair of intense fire-colored eyes in the viewscreen's reflection earlier, but was unsure if the pilot's regard was cast in his direction or not. Focusing on his own equipment for now, it was best not to distract a female officer from her duty-- more so now that the Starfleet black-and-grey uniforms were being traded for combat-ready gear. If only Mariner would get an exosuit of his own, he'd spare no expense in its upkeep and personalization. Too bad this time there wasn't an opportunity to show off his artistic talent. Later, if Fire-eyes wanted to appreciate his imagination, all she'd have to do was find him after this assignment. One more person to impress-- but that was secondary to their mission, the big picture, and his crew's survival.

"Bloody hell." The Aussie commented about his new armor when he opened the crate and found himself a changing area in the space behind the cockpit. Mariner got undressed down to his form-hugging briefs and immediately got suited up in the same time it took the other officers, (though the ladies had a head start on the men). Normally, Jimmy would have no qualms about showing off his toned and lightly-scarred body, but right now he needed to get his arse into that exo suit and outside at the double-quick. When he'd been sure his suit was operating at peak efficiency, he took a precautionary inspection of Jak's suit. When he caught his crewmate's attention for a heartbeat, he rubbed his forehead, eye and ear, indicating 'They can hear you, we'll chat out of antennae-shot'. Then Jimmy casually snapped on his own HUD and tested out the helmet's visual filters. The display system came online and he adjusted his settings to get as clear an unobstructed view as he could with the instruments aside. A voice-to-text suite sent a private text through a Klingon translator, just out of courtesy-- and in this case, privacy. <wa'DIch poHlIj conquest, Suq may', vaj, SoH, Pal.>

[Translation: "First you get the the battle, then you get the 'conquest', Friend."
Hinting about the Andorian euphimism for par'mach.]

Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost

Minutes later, Jimmy Mariner was out of the shuttle, pistol drawn and head on a swivel as the hangar's lights came to life. He thought he heard something in the distance, but it could've been a moisture leak for all he knew. The Exo-suit's thermal tracking filter had detected no immediate life form readings.

<Clear.> James gave the hand signal to proceed after being sure there wasn't an armed response team waiting for them in the cavernous hangar. The situation warranted a brief smile when James was authorized to get himself a rifle. In Mariner's hands, the weapon was like a bushranger with his carbine: more accuracy and preset fire rate options in a fire fight. Almost instinctively, he secured his pistol and ensured his rifle was set to stun and that his fire-rate presets mirrored those of his pistol's, which were designed to immediately rival the hated Jem'Hadar rifle in fire rate and stopping power; concentrated semi-automatic being his go to fire setting, 'automatic' for suppressive or cover fire, 'beam' for welding and wide-arc as the response to any encounter of the close-quarters kind, which was understandably costly in fuel cells, and was almost-never used, even by him. Jimmy privately promised himself to be careful with his ammunition... even if it meant using a wide-arc pulsewave on kill setting. <I'd keep my eyes and my options open if I were you, Sir. This isn't exactly a Zero-G training simulator, you know.> Jimmy had caught notice of Jak's apparent cough, but had said nothing about it, until he was tasked with protecting the Câroon, <Last call for Dramamine.> he suggested.


[Show/Hide]

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | SuD Lang Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ]   Atten:  @CanadianVet, @Triage 

With the variable gravity rating and the lack of a functioning tractor beam it was white knuckle time as Lieutenant (junior grade) Tessa May Lance guided her AC-409 Mk III Valkyrie into the station’s docking bay.  Tessa had experienced trouble with manual landings on worlds with a constant gravity so she wasn’t confident about her chances now.  She set her fighter’s Twin-Tandem ITD-900 Series Class V Gravitic Impulse Drive to one of its lowest setting and did her best to maneuver it in without destroying it. 

Her dorsal deflector shield lit up as her cockpit as the Advanced Tactical Sensor Suite at the top her fighter scrapped against the roof of the entrance to the docking bay.  A loud ‘thunk’ was heard within her cockpit as the nose of her Valk gently bounced off the back wall before floating lazily backward before jerking left and right, and up and down, as Tessa tried to maneuver her fighter.   Finally after what seemed like eternity she felt the magnetic feet of her landing gear stick to the hull and she could finally relax. 

Before exiting her Valkyrie, Tessa leaned back in her cockpit and took a deep breath, trying to relax and enjoying the last bit of normal gravity before she exited her spacecraft and experience the stomach churning microgravity of the SuD Lang mining station.  She opened her eyes and gazed up through her transparent aluminum alloy cockpit window to view the ceiling overhead.  Only it wasn’t the ceiling or in nautical terms, the overhead.  It was the floor, or in nautical terms, the deck.  She knew this because she could see the SS Sabine above her, and the doors that led out of this large chamber were visible where the wall met what Tessa had assumed was the “ceiling” but was in reality the floor.

“Gosh darn it!” Tessa cried out in frustration.  “Oh well,” she sighed as she instinctively checked the seals in her Tactical CONN Exosuit that would function as her Extra Vehicular Activity Suit.  She then checked the contents of the slim utility compartments installed in the hips and the sides of the legs of her suit.  “Let’s see, type one hand phaser, combat tricorder, standard combat ration pack, standard combat medical kit, knife with retractable parsteel blade, one field communicator, one PADD, two half liter pouches of drinking water, one one person inflatable shelter, and one extra filter mask.  Okay, that’s everything!”  Most of that stuff wasn’t going to be useful in an airless environment but it was better to be over prepared than underprepared.  “And I mustn’t forget this!” added as she attached the holster for a Type II pulse phase pistol that had become popular with pilots and security forces after the Dominion War to her hip.  “You never know,” she chirped.  Nodding to herself, she deactivated her Valk’s inertial dampeners and undid her restraints before opening the cockpit hatch.  She stood up and…

…promptly tumbled through space, out of control as she floated away from her Valkyrie.  ”Aah!” she cried as she slowly tumbled to the floor.  ”Aah!  I don’t wanna die!” she howled before she bounced off the deck and bounced and rolled across the docking bay, bouncing off both the walls and the Sabine like a billiard ball until her inertia had dropped down enough for the magnetic sole on one of her boots managed to gain traction on the deck.  Once her second boot was planted on the floor, the young lieutenant checked herself for injuries.  Thankfully the exosuit was equipped with synthetic muscle technology and servomechanisms as well as a spinal stabilizer.  “I’m Oh…kay!” she cheered. 

It was only then that she noticed EV suited figures leaving the Sabine.  The figure holding the phaser rifle that the display on her visor identified as ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) started giving out the orders.  “"Junior Lieutenant Lance, would you please head down to these hidden ruins together with Petty Officer Bremmer and PWO McMillan? Bremmer, give her the hand phaser, and show her how to use it. Hi'Jak might be able to open any doors needed between here and the ruins after we reach the command center, but since Sera got there unassisted, I doubt that will be required."  The Andorian paused to hand the figure her Thru Visor Display (TVD) identified as Lieutenant (junior grade) Hi'Jak (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Hi%27Jak) a hand phaser before addressing the away team.  “Everyone, limit open comms to your respective groups so that we are not all talking with each other all the time. If comms go down, this docking bay is our rendezvous point."

“Aye-aye ma’am, oops!” Tessa chirped as she adjusted her suit’s communications gear to match the frequency being used with Petty Officer Second Class Eliska Bremmer (http://Ehttps://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Eliska_Bremmer) and Provisional Warrant Officer Heather McMillan (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Heather_McMillan).  She started to walk over to them but one of her boots wouldn’t let go of the deck.  By the time she managed to free herself she had used enough force that she was tumbling towards them before settling for an awkward stagger. 

Fortunately, when she managed to get to the pair, she had managed to adjust the suction on her boots to a level that allowed some kind of walking.  “So, girls, what are these hidden ruins we’re talking about?”

---

OOC:  I’ll let Triage or CanadianVet do the time skip and describe the hidden ruins.  I’m as in the dark as Tessa.

[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | SS Sabine NX-59846 | SuD Lang Outpost ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Triage  @Kaligos @Striker N7 @Mathis @Havenborn @Josie @Doc M.

While the Warrant Officer removed her uniform, Eliska saw to the EVA suit she was going to be wearing.  Space survival and hard-vacuum operations were part of Starfleet's basic training for enlisted men and officers alike.  Though she did not know quite how the officers went through it, she recalled it had been a grueling process that involved much classroom time and a lot of training and practice in an atmosphere with inspecting, donning, doffing and operating the suits long before they would do holodeck simulations, and they had to pass a number of those before they'd even step out a real airlock for their first spacewalk, all 5 minutes of a cherry-hop from one door to another.  So far as Bremmer could tell, Heather McMillan had received exactly none of that training. 

That meant the Petty Officer was doing the initial checks on the suits and spooling up its onboard systems while her charge was stripping down, and there would be need for a quick and dirty 'how not to die in hard vacuum' speech.  But at least, having been qualified as a Mistress-at-Arms, she was also a qualified instructor for EVA refresher training...  Though, at least, she seemed willing enough to try and put it on by herself. 

Eliska herself wasted little time in stripping down, but unlike the Lieutenant who was down to her issued underwear and the scientist in those frilly and rather cute underthings, the Nova Kosice native wore long, skin-tight boxers that reached her knees, and a similar shirt that went to her elbows; she spend enough time in those suits for extended durations during the Dominion war to know just how badly they could chafe, and she'd taken the time to replicate the kind of thing she'd been wearing then, and had taken with her on board the Resolve.  But as she was about to start pulling on her own exosuit, only to be interrupted by McMillan's problems.  Though, once she had corrected the issue with her feet and requested assistance, Bremmer offered a bit of a smile.  "Warrant, in Starfleet there's a solid week of in-class training before we even get to look at a suit like that one; there's no shame in needing a hand there."  And, with that said, the Petty Officer assisted her into the EVA suit, taking care to let her ease herself into position before sealing it up save for the helmet.

"All right crash course in suit operations.  You've got controls to magnetize your boots; you're going to need this unless we can get gravity back.  In the helmet, you'll have information about your air, and some bits about the outside conditions.  Don't worry too much about any of that except for the air part.  Now, golden rule: unless I tell you otherwise, keep your helmet sealed up once I close it up for you, all right?  Communications... I'll set you up when the Ell-Tee decides who you're going with, but you'll have a couple of channels available, and switching between them is pretty self-explanatory."  But then, she had to add a few things.  "Look, if you've gotta go while you're in the suit, the on-board plumbing can deal with it easily enough; you'll just need clean underwear and a shower afterwards.  But if you're going to toss your cookies, there's a purge valve you can hit, it'll suck it up out of your helmet and flush the air; it's not perfect, but at least it won't be floating around your head until we get some gravity." 

And only then did Eliska get the time to get herself suited up.  The exosuit was like a second skin to her as she slipped effortlessly into the armoured shell that would keep her alive in the hostile conditions out there and do wonders for her combat effectiveness in any set of conditions.  Oh, certainly it tended to get a little stuffy in there after a while, and there was always that dire need to scratch that would come on shortly after having fully suited up and tended to never go away until she'd peel it off.  But she loved those suits all right, and her proficiency with this sort of technology was obvious as she sealed it around her and ran the diagnostics and did the basic range of motion checks.  Oh yes, that would do all right, that would do quite well... 

[10 minutes later]

One thing with being trained as she had been, to a finer edge than the vast majority of Starfleet's Security personnel, it meant that one tended to get to take point.  But then again, it made sense to have your best in the front, and it was with pistol in hand that Eliska disembarked from the Sabine and took a sharp turn, followed by a zig-zagging motion that would look utterly random, but really was aimed at giving her a quick glance at her entire arc of responsibility even as she went to take her position, but without a predictable path that would make it easy for anyone lurking in the shadows to target her.  And from where she had been, she was quick to give her own all clear signal, being reasonably certain through her suit's sensors and her own Mark One Eyeballs that the docking bay itself was not any more hazardous than the environment itself made it. 

But things could change quickly on a mission, and that they did.  A message flashed on the inside of her helmet's faceplate, and Eliska responded to it not over the channel, but by raising her hand with an upraised thumb, and made back for the Sabine.  Truth be told, she was glad the word had come they would really get to gun up.  The pulse phaser pistol was a formidable weapon in its own right, but it would never be able to outdo a rifle in a sustained firefight; and it always felt good to have a backup.  And before she came out of the ship again, her rifle was hanging from a sling about her chest, and should she drop it it would keep the stock close to her shoulder, ready to be brought to bear in a heartbeat.

Arming the Warrant, though... that was a rather frightening proposition.  However, Eliska did not waste any time in delivering the rifles and hand phasers to Lieutenant zh'Wann and Mister Mariner before making for her own charge.  First, she affixed the holster to the Radiant's suit, and then she saw to the weapon and worked the settings with practiced ease.  "Warrant, that's a Type 2 hand phaser.  Right now, it's set to stun; leave it there for now.  There's the trigger, you press it with your thumb.  Now, to aim, you just point the thumb of your firing hand towards what you want to hit, and press the trigger; this thing isn't really meant for pinpoint accuracy, but with stun all you really need is to be able to hit anywhere near the center of mass, and point-shooting with your firing thumb as a guide is usually good enough for that."

And then, she slipped the weapon in the holster, and checked the retention.  "Your holster should be enough to keep your weapon in there unless you get a major shock.  To draw, just pull it out straight.  Not that I expect you'll need to.  But if you do, make sure you don't point that at me, or anyone else, or anything you don't want to shoot.  My suit can take shots set on stun, but it's still not the most pleasant thing to be on the receiving end of, all right?  Any questions?"  Well, so far as Eliska was concerned, that had been fast and furious.  Arming someone who'd never been trained on these weapons was not generally standard procedure, and giving them about two weeks' worth of training in minutes, without any practical testing, was definitely largely unheard of...

And then, the orders were given.  Bremmer was to head for those ruins with Warrant McMillan and the pilot in tow.  Now, that made things interesting.  Pilots were usually well-trained in close-combat as well as fighting their craft, but this was a dedicated ground operation, and while the Warrant and Goldeneye (as the HUD indicated) were of similar authority, neither had much of an idea of what was involved her.  And given how Lance seemed to have some difficulty with the settings on her mag boots, let alone doing basic maneuvering in microgravity (and why she didn't use her suit thrusters was a mystery to the Petty Officer) this was bound to be a very interesting operation in its own right.  In fact, Bremmer was quite certain that if it came down to dealing with a threat, she would be largely on her own there...

On the team channel that Eliska was quick to create, she then spoke.  "Barring any major objections, I'll take point.  Ell-Tee, can I trouble you to bring up the rear, and an eye on your tricorder?  Warrant, you're the package on this mission, so my job's to keep you in one piece.  So kindly, don't do anything unwise, and if you're going to touch something, let the Ma'am or myself have a look-see first, all right?  Oh, and even if Lieutenant zh'Wann comes on the air saying we have atmosphere, keep your helmet sealed up; this place is a deathtrap and there's no telling what compartments will or won't have survivable pressure, or even atmo mix until we get there.  And that's assuming the temperature is within survivable parameters to begin with."

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SuD Lang Command Center ]
[Show/Hide]It was evident that the halfblood Ridgehead was struggling with his answer to Ida, but it was not entirely clear why until he spoke, telling her something that - at face value - might be a tragedy. Yet there was far more to it than that, as Ida turned her eyes and antennae his way.

Ida was quite proficient in telling when people were lying to her, but the way he had paused made her think that it wasn't him buying time to piece together a version of what happened. No, the way he said it correlated with the way he spoke of the Klingon Empire. He could have said anything, tried to dress up the fact of what happened in a way to mitigate his guilt in the matter, but what he chose to say was that he did not regret this Chief Science Officer dying. He regretted how it happened, and that proved he was more Klingon than he had cared to admit so far.

Knowing Klingons from fighting them aboard the USS Kintaro during the Dominon War, Ida knew there was no honour killing an adversary by accident, like a child mishandling a phaser. The Junior Lieutenant had carried evidence that might hurt the Klingon Empire in the long run, and the enemy on the base was trying to have him killed. Nontheless, even if he managed to escape, where was the honour in a kill unintended? The Klingon operative was not remorseful, but ashamed, since there was no honour for either him or the CSO on Starbase 84.

Ida looked down at the phaser he'd given back to her, favouring the almost one hundred year old weapon he'd found. Klingon's did build their weapons to last, but Ida had a feeling that there was more to the gesture than a flight of fancy. That train of thought came to a halt when Hi'Jak restored gravity and air, the environmental systems struggling loudly through the mining outpost to compensate for almost a century of dereliction.

"I can inform the others, even if they are bound to have noticed," said Ida quietly without making comment on what Hi'Jak had said. She attached the regular hand phaser next to her tricorder on her exosuit and typed a message to both Petty Officer Bremmer and Ensign Mariner on her Forearm PADD. She also included Lance. While she did, she spoke in a quiet but clear voice, knowing that she'd be heard well enough inside the other officer's helmet. "Commander Trent's assessment of you was not kind, at least not what he relayed to me prior to this mission. You were good at hiding, undetected for years, unbeknownst to Starfleet relaying intel to your Empire the whole time. What I ask myself is what you plan on doing for the Theurgy's mission now that your true loyalty has been revealed, and your skill of avoiding detection has become moot. How will you be able to make the Empire heed the call to arms?"

The message she typed to the other two security officers and Junior Lieutenant Lance was short:

ATMO PRESSURE AND GRAVITY RESTORED.
TEMPERATURE REGULATING. AIR FILTERING.
MAKE CONTACT WITH HI'JAK FOR ANY ACCESS NEEDED.
BE ADVISED: DOCKING BAY IS STILL DEPRESSURISED.

Then she looked up from her typing, eyes on the scientist. "Because it would serve Captain Ives and the crew - even the future of the Federation - if we had more allies against this common enemy. I am asking you... can you make that very call from here?" She paused, looking at the old Klingon user interface on the station Hi'Jak was at. "If the Empire will answer, and fight for us... I have been given to understand that the inconvenient existence of SuD Lang might be overlooked."

She looked back at the operative through her visor, this man who had not been made aware until right then why he truly had been picked for the mission. "Ives sanctioned this, on the condition that the comm logs of this outpost were extracted and handed to me." Of course, if those showed that SuD Lang was anything else than completely derelict, the Theurgy would be able to prove the Empire had been violating the Treaty of Alliance. Just like the existence of a Starfleet officer spy working for the Empire. As for what she'd do if he did not comply... Well, Ives had expected her not to threaten Hi'Jak the way she'd threatened Edena Rez before the Niga Incident. The Captain had expected her to know better than to repeat that mistake.

Ida was not smiling, her rifle still lowered. "It is time for you to redeem yourself, Ridgehead."

In truth, Ida had not decided what to do if it came to that, but because of the fallout at Starbase 84, she did know that she would ensure that the Klingons got the message... by whatever means necessary.

---

OOC: Please, in your next posts, you all must further events to a point when you have reached the destination. Mathis must describe the dilithium storage area and have gravity and atmosphere restored, and Striker will get the message from Ida in his subsequent post. Triage, on her end, needs to be close to or at the entrance to the ruins in the next post when gravity and atmosphere is restored, and Tessa and Bremmer will get the message on their Knee or Forearm PADDs respectively. This is also a green light to introduce the Talarian hook spiders at your leisure! :) Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Command Center: 1) @Kaligos  2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) @Mathis  2) @Striker N7
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @Triage 2) @Doc M. 3) @CanadianVet 

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | SuD Lang control room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Part of Jack had known where this conversation had been going, but he still hadn't looked forward to it. He had told Trent that rallying the Klingons too soon would be costly, that without evidence of their invisible enemy calling on the Klingon council would probably end up in disaster or war two of the things that he had wanted to avoid for his empire. He supposed in that way he could be viewed as a moderate.

He gave the gun a check over. Compared to the one Ida had given him it was ancient. Klingon technology had always been built to last, but he wouldn't know if the thing worked till he attempted to turn and fire. If he pulled the trigger on Ida and nothing happened than he was a dead man, if he pulled the trigger and something did happen than he would need to figure out a way to get off this rock.

"See that's what you people don't understand. If I call on the empire then they aren't going to fight alongside you. If I tell them that the Federation leadership is under the influence of an alien force they will be ecstatic to believe me, but they won't be coming for some select admiralty. If I cry havok they will let slip the dogs of war."

"The Empire has been building since the end of the dominion war, we have learned from our mistakes. While there was a time when we starved ourselves in the name of peace the dominion war was like giving a starving dog a sack of meat, and once it was over we wanted more. Even now daily raids take place along the Romulan civil war, raids that shed the blood of countless stars. If I tell the empire what it wants to hear than it turns their attention away from one conflict and focuses it like a hammer to smash against the Federation as a whole. the sons and daughters of a thousand worlds will die."

Jack let out a sigh as he took out a PADD, and started to attach it to the coms console.  Starting a data transfer between the base and the PADD. "Andoria will be the first target you know. It's strained relationship to the Federation, and it's known warrior heritage will make it a prime target to stress the bureaucracy of the Federation, and when they have to divert resources to protect a world it will open up a dozen more to attack."

He turned to face Ida. "I can make the call to arms, I might even be able to get them to listen to me when I say that the Theurgy is not aligned with the Romulans, but they do not fight for you. jagh jagh reH kash"

"It's an old Klingon proverb, The enemy of your enemy is still an enemy."

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Docking Bay | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Striker N7 & Everyone

[Show/Hide]Sera walked out from the observation room where she had just turned on the lights for the docking bay, Ida having just finished giving out their ‘marching orders’ as it were. Sera was a little disappointed to not be going with Jack, making her wish she’d made more conversation during their trip out. With how sick he’d looked though, she thought maybe he could use the quiet. They’d talk after, she figured, and she had to admit it did make good tactical sense to put a security officer with each group. Sera was hardly defenseless, but she did feel a lot safer with someone to watch her back. As the groups began to separate, Sera jumped from the overlook, the miniscule gravity carrying her slowly to the ground. She used her suit’s small thrusters in small controlled bursts to land smoothly only a few feet from the group. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t showing off a little, reminding everyone that she did this sort of thing for a living… or at least used to.

Jack told her to be careful as he left the bay with the Andorian woman. She gave him a smile and a wink from behind her helmet, “You too,” she said before he’d walked off. She turned her attention on Jimmy, his impressive jawline and five o’clock shadow visible through his helmet. She took the pistol he’d been ordered to provide her and checked the settings on it. She nodded at the rifle, “I hope you know how to use that thing, never know who or what we might find down here.” She said with a mix of mirth and seriousness. “I’m Sera, by the way. I’m sorry we didn’t get much of a chance to talk during the trip here, I was distracted by flying and a bit lost in thought, if I’m being honest.” He was cute, there was no denying it. She was suddenly wishing she could get a better look at him without the EV suit. She pushed those thoughts from her mind, for now anyway. She motioned towards their exit.

“Shall we, Starfleet?”

[15 minutes later]

During their fifteen-minute walk to the storage bay the station’s artificial gravity came back up, courtesy of Jack no doubt. She’d wished they’d had some warning as the transition was a bit jarring, Jimmy had to grab her arm to keep her from losing balance. She’d have caught herself with a thruster, but it was welcome nonetheless. Soon they came to a large sealed door that was obviously an entrance to a cargo bay of sorts. She walked over to the door’s panel and started interfacing with it and her personal PADD. She used the same protocols she had last time and a few seconds later the door was opening. It opened to a rather impressive site. Crates and caches of raw dilithium were strewn across the large bay. “I think we can use those old hover-movers to load up entire crates of this stuff back to Sabine to ship back with us. The problem is the raw dilithium is around 90% useless moon rock, and with Sabine’s hold being the size that it is, we really should fill up on all the refined stuff we can get our hands on.” She pointed back towards the very back of the bay where another door stood similar to the first she had just opened but more reinforced. Way more reinforced. “Tricorder readings show crates of refined dilithium behind that door, but last time I was here I wasn’t able to unlock it or cut through it. Sucker’s thick. Maybe Jack can unlock it… remotely…?”

She trailed off as the hairs on her neck stood up and she thought she noticed movement in the corner of her eye, up in the dark corners of the storage room. Whatever it was, it was very fast, and she swore she saw multiple legs. She wanted to curse, but all she got out was a question.

“Did… did you see that?”

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SuD Lang Command Center ]
[Show/Hide]At first, the flat-cheeked Ridgehead was trying to caution against any actions taken towards alerting the Empire about the parasites, and he did make some sense. Ida could see how the Empire might do as he described, but it seemed he had overlooked the risk of the Klingon High Command being infected as well. Moreover, Chancellor Martok was a proved ally to the Federation, and he'd seen the fate of Gowron with his own eyes. The Empire had been misled in a very similar way before. As much Ida had been given to understand, and had faith in the message she had brought from Captain Ives.

She was just about to tell the scientist that he was underestimating Ives, whom was a diplomat first and a hardened battle commander second. The Chameloid's track record in mediating conflicts and settling peace between warring parties was well documented before Starfleet Command declared them all outlaws. Since then, whatever merit there had been to Ives' name had been tarnished by untruth, and since the Junior Lieutenant had been fed the filth of the media on Starbase 84, she could understand if he didn't see the veil placed over his eyes.

Then, the Ridgehead got personal, alluding towards the possible destruction of Andoria.

Ida bit off whatever words she had meant to say when she smiled. There was no kindness in her stare. "And so said the most sorry excuse of a Klingon warrior I have ever seen," she said derisively, giving the scientist spy a dissaproving once-over before tearing into him with her sharp tongue. "What do you know about your people, having lived a Federation life? You graduated from the Academy four years ago, neither having fought against nor with your people during the Dominion War. All you know you have been told by your boastful Klingon handlers, filling your head with promises about what the Empire is capable of. You are just a naive boy looking for somewhere to belong, feeling like Starfleet owes you something when it is you that's inferior to everyone's expectations. I am an Andorian in exile, and I bear no love for what I left behind, but I know the Imperial Guard will not yield an inch to the rash and witless Ridgheads if they chose to come their way."

He swore and rounded on her, his disruptor at his side. "You daft blue skinned cunt!"

Forestalling any rash actions from the scientist, Ida had her rifle up and pointing towards Hi'Jak's chest within a moment - sights aligned and finger on the trigger. It stopped the halfblood short.

"We are both just cogs in the wheel, little spy," she said in a even tone, voice low when she made it clear what she thought of his kind. She had despised Rez in the same way, despite what had come after. After all she had gone through, all that she'd done, killing this stranger in self-defence would be nothing to her. 

"It means that what happens next... is not for either of us to decide. Ives has a message for Chancellor Martok, and you are going to send it. Whatever you think you know about the Empire's answer is irrelevant, because it is not your call to make. So, I suggest you put the disruptor aside, and begin typing." She tilted her head, as if gauging whether or not he'd do as told. It was not entirely certain, but she knew she'd defend herself if so required. "If you don't send the message, you'll rot in the brig on the Theurgy because you refused to carry out orders... but if you don't put away that weapon, you'll never leave this room."

Ida's stance did not move a hair as she stood there, face dead serious. "Do you understand?"

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Command Center: 1) @Kaligos  2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) @Striker N7 2) @Mathis 
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @Triage 2) @Doc M. 3) @CanadianVet 

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | SuD Lang control room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
"You daft blue skinned cunt!" Jack spun on his heels towards Ida ready with a reprimand on his tongue, that she was supposed to be Starfleet, that she was supposed to look out for the greater good, or that they were not supposed to be Warmongerers. All of these very device non Klingon things that were just on the tip of his tongue but fled out when he saw the rifle raised to his chest.

Killing Ida was no longer an option in that moment. He would have to lift his arm pull the trigger and pray that his gun worked, while she would only need to pull the trigger of a more powerful modern and up to date weapon. He chewed his words over, looking over the options he had. Her words about being cogs on the wheel were a dodge. He whom gives the order has swung the blade. If he let these people contact the council then war was inevitable.

Up to this point he had been willing to listen, willing to work with this Starfleet crew. He had told Trent his reservations about presenting this parasite theory before any solid proof could be gleaned on the make up of these creatures, but he had still agreed to help them.

Now however? This blue skinned idiot would kill them all for the chance that they might get some help. She would doom worlds, and he would be party to events that would fell the empire. He looked down at the weapon, there was his exit, refuse and this woman would send him off to Stovokor. If he went with her then he was going to doom his empire and countless others to a war. "Easy there."

He raised his hand not carrying the gun. Opening the holster on the side of his EV suit. "We are getting a little ahead of ourselves right? You need me to work this place, and to send the message. I can't do either of those things if you kill me."

She was right he may actually have been the most pathetic warrior she had ever seen. Another warrior would have tried. Some of them might even have succeeded in their bid to kill her. He on the other hand had no chance. Slowly and gently he put the disruptor at his side to the holster putting on his person but clipping it so that it couldn't be easily picked up. "Without me you don't get the resources for our ship, so you can't kill me just yet."

"Now then," he kept his hands up as he turned around giving his attention back to the consol he had been working from Reading over the Klingon dialect. His face obscured by the EV suit he let himself smile for a moment as he came up with a plan, and at least part of the plan was the ancient Klingon security network.  Tapping up the com-line with one hand his other worked on the several long dead death traps the klingons used to leave behind.

"Lets hear the captain's words, and I will make sure that Qo'Nos receives them, in a way that they can understand."

[ Heather McMillan (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Heather_McMillan) | SS Sabine NX-59846 | Approaching the Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Kaligos, @CanadianVet, @Striker N7, @Mathis, @Havenborn, @Josie & @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]Ida probably thought McMillan was a complete arse and a buffoon, for which she really couldn't blame the Andorian. She thought she was one too. Thankfully, Bremmer was more than helpful, and giving instructions that would have been hard enough to grasp on a good day, but the Radiant felt like curling up in a corner and dying right then, so words were going overhead, aroundhead, and underhead...hold on, was that possible? She didn't dare shake her head, mostly because she didn't want to move rapidly under any circumstance with the way her stomach was churning, and how her limbs and extremities were beginning to ache murderously until she was seeing stars instead of the woman in front of her. But she was starting to swim, her thoughts, her vision, her sensations...

“I...I understand, ma'am. And thank you.” said McMillan, in answer to everything given. She said that after briefly and slowly nodding at all instructions, the best response she could give. But it would have been obvious that she was not paying complete attention already, with her rapid blinking, and struggling to keep her attention on Bremmer. Furthermore, there seemed to be three Bremmers. No...there was one. Now there was two, and four! No, it was just two all along. Hold on. There was only one Bremmer. What was happening? She swayed where she stood, then her senses sharpened when she saw the weapon being attached to her. She remembered the one time she tried using a hand phaser to save Nicander and Vojona. It was the start down a dark path, one she didn't want to think about. Then there was the time she used her light to harm Acreth. No, a weapon was not something she wanted.

“I can't use that...” said McMillan, steadfast in that at least, “...I-I mean...it's against m-my principles. I'm terribly sorry. But I will rather die than harm another being, no matter the reason.”

She closed her eyes and looked away, then she sighed and looked back, “Thank you, though. I'm ready.”

She watched as the helmet was sealed, effectively encasing her in her own atmosphere. Her aura of light flickered and pulsed like never before, briefly imitating the light motions F'Rell made when she was expressing emotions. Her natural skin tone showed in gaps where no light was shining under the skin, as it was with her hair, which still floated around as if she were underwater or in zero gravity. Sighing, she took in her first breath of the suit's provided air. It was rich and in perfect balance. Taking another appreciative breath, she steadied the rhythm of her breathing, which seemed to briefly make her feel better, and she finally set foot outside of the Sabine, following after Bremmer, who came out after Ida.

[ SuD Lang Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost | The Coreless Moon ]

She stared up, and her jaw hit the floor when she watched Tessa May Lance tumbling through the air like a drunken flying Vulcan on drugs. Except the likelihood of a Vulcan getting intoxicated and partaking in equilibrium-distorting drugs were as likely as McMillan discovering a way to achieve Warp Ten safely. In any case, the woman was thankfully none the worse for wear...for the most part. “Ma'am?” said McMillan, “Will you be all right?” She stumbled over to Lance, herself more woefully incompetent than the pilot, as she felt a wave of dizziness overtake her so forcefully, she all but collapsed to her knees, one foot barely keeping the magnetized grip.

Straightening up, she decided to worry about keeping herself from collapsing all the time unless she wanted Bremmer to just hoist her on her back and bear her all the way for the journey. The gravity, or lack thereof was affecting her more brutally than she anticipated. After murmuring an affirmative to Ida's instructions, she staggered and stumbled along behind Bremmer, occasionally turning to see how Lance was faring, though it was a unspoken and unasked for competition to see which of them was the clumsiest and most awkward. She was walking almost with her hands gripping her legs as she struggled to overpower the magnetic grips, and then there was the constant falling down.

[ 10 minutes later ]

“Uhnf!” McMillan collapsed flat on her front for the umpteenth time, and she pushed herself up quickly, “I-I'm all right! I just need a moment.”

Half resting her weight on one hand, while the other held her tricorder, which she raised up when it started detecting something significant, based on several search parameters. She propped herself more comfortably though still in an awkward position, on one knee while her other foot stayed clamped to the flooring. She had set her tricorder to pick up on traces of heat, light and radiowaves that would match light emissions from a Radiant like herself, as well as a little known material known as Cascadium. The only piece of metal alloy found only in one place: her people's homeworld. She kept a tiny sliver of the metal as a pendant that she wore all the time. It was literally a piece of the ship that brought her people to Earth. When her ancestors had dismantled and stripped down their ship once they realized it was inoperable and humans were converging on them, her direct relative must have taken a piece of the ship and carved the metal into a beautiful pendant. But the young woman hadn't made the connection from her family history to the pendant's more unique aspects until much much later.

At first McMillan had simply thought it a family heirloom made of Earth material, but only recently, on a whim, she'd used her resources on the ship to study the elements of her pendant, and discovered it was made of a metal not found anywhere else, not even in the Starfleet database, which was quite extensive. With such a search parameter, it would have narrowed down her search quite quickly, which it did. And now she was on to something. The tricorder was picking up traces of Cascadium. “I've found something rather significant, I think.” said McMillan, “There's either a large deposit of Cascadium nearby, or there are buildings and ships made of it. We'll have to leave the main compounds of the Klingon outpost. It seems they built it over the ruins.”

She guided Bremmer, though allowing the woman to maintain her position in front, which was easily done, considering McMillan's awkward gait and graceless motions, and the fact her face was glued to her tricorder more than her path. If a hole had been in front of her, she would have fallen into it. She didn't even look up when her peripherals caught a swift motion, nor did it register in her head. Her hearing was poor in the suit, and she was more eager to get to the ruins than worry about safety or the potential of any obstacles. “It's not much further...just around here...”

She finally looked up, pointing to the left, past Klingon machinery and mining tools. Towards a massive cave seemingly carved by hand. Long dead ivy clutched stubbornly to the edges. From top-to-bottom, the cave, made of stone, metal and fiber, looked like an artistic etching with ornate language or patterns tracing in smooth and fluid notes of all sizes. Gaping, McMillan slowly approached it, feeling a tug in her heart, in her soul, as she hesitantly stepped closer. Not too far away, she could make out a monolithic statue, humanoid in shape, and what appeared to be massive gates or doors. She stopped just before she would set foot on the stone floor, staying on the sandy brown ground that was the last bit of the Klingon mining outpost.

[ Entrance to the Lightborn Ruins | The Coreless Moon ]

“We're here,” said McMillan breathlessly, one more step, and she would be walking on the carved, designed path of what was likely the home of her ancestral race. “The Lightborn is just ahead.”

The statue had a destroyed partner on the other side across it, as if they stood guard to the entrance. And for a moment, the eyes of the remaining statue glinted with iridescent light, as if picking up from what little light reflected out of McMillan through her helmet.

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | SuD Lang Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ]   Atten:  @CanadianVet, @Triage 

It was a darn good thing that the visor in Tessa’s helmet was almost completely opaque or else it would have been obvious how red her face was getting.  Petty Officer Bremmer was giving the pilot no respect due to her rank at all and was treating her exactly the same as Heather McMillan:  Like two civilians who had been made provisional warrant officers just so Thea could issue them each a combage.  Tessa expected that from a chief, but not a petty officer.  It meant that Tessa had lost so much of her ‘death or glory’ spirit that everyone on the ship knew how pathetic she was these days, how everybody had to carry her.  Well that may have been true, but it was the height of disrespect for a mere petty officer to point that out!

“Um excuse me?” Tessa protested snippily.  “I am the ranking officer, and I don’t like being referred to as ‘El-Tee.’  It makes me sound like a sandwich!  Petty Officer Bremmer, when speaking to me, you will address me as ‘Lieutenant’ or ‘Ma’am’.  And since I’m the ranking officer, I will take command, and I think we should… um…  I think we should… er… uh…”

Suddenly Tessa May Lance was transformed from ranking officer to contrite child.  Her shoulders sagged as she slumped in defeat.  “I think we should do exactly what you said, and probably whatever else you say for the duration of the mission,” she croaked in a quiet voice that only the communications system in Eliska’s and Heather’s helmets made audible.  “You take point, and I’ll take up the rear and keep an eye on my tricorder.” 

Too late, Tessa realized that she should have kept her mouth shut and let Bremmer take charge.  Odds were the Petty Officer hadn’t meant any disrespect in the first place.

[ 10 minutes later ]

Ten minutes later the ranking officer, the so called leader of the expedition was following Bremmer and McMillan through the ruins past the discarded bulk of Klingon machinery.  Both and Tessa had a bad habit of keeping their eyes on their tricorders instead of the uneven terrain, with the gravitational constant feeling like it was different with every step, those steps were as graceful as a drunken Naasican trying to put on a tutu. 

“Uhnf!” McMillan grunted as she tripped and fell forward yet again.

“What, whoa!” Tessa stammered before crying out as she tripped over the prone scientist.  “Whoa…!” she cried out as her boots lost traction and the microgravity conditions caused her to sail slowly over McMillian’s prone body to flail helplessly in space before her momentum brought her sluggishly over to a large inert dust covered apparatus that she could grab a hold of.  “I’m okay!” Tessa chirped, “and you?” 

“I-I'm all right!“  McMillian assured her as she pushed herself off the deck.  “I just need a moment.”

“Oh. Well. Take your time,” Tessa chirped in assurance as she clung to the derelict machine and planted her feet back on the deck.  “No rush!”

The little scientist rose awkwardly to one knee and continued her scans.  “I've found something rather significant, I think.” she reported. “There's either a large deposit of Cascadium nearby, or there are buildings and ships made of it. We'll have to leave the main compounds of the Klingon outpost. It seems they built it over the ruins.”

“Uh, okay,” Tessa stammered as McMillan led them through the ruins.  “Cascadium, Cascadium, boy I’m sure glad that we found some Cascadium!” Tessa burbled as they picked their way through the crumbling and intimidating mining complex.  “I was just saying the other day, boy I sure hope we don’t run out of Cascadium; that would be a disaster.  Boy it sure takes a weight off my mind knowing that we found another source of Cascadium…” 

“It's not much further...just around here...” the young scientist murmured.

“Thank goodness we found another source of Cascadium!” Tessa babbled as she followed Heather through the shadowy ruins.  Between the darkness and the dust and debris that was hanging in what trace gases passed for air on this rock it was small wonder that even with flashlights a tricorder was more dependable than one’s eyes.  “Just one question.  What is Cascadium?” 

But the little scientist wasn’t listening and when Tessa got closer to the others she found out why.  McMillian and  Bremmer had discovered a tunnel that seemed right out of a fantasy horror holonovel.  Withered ivy clung to the sides of the opening, the first trace that anything living had ever been here aside of Klingon ghosts.  Patterns were carved into the walls, ceiling, and floor that of the metal, stone, and fiber tunnel didn’t match any Klingon subculture that Tessa had heard of.  Inside, Tessa could make out a humanoid statue carved out of a single block guarding what appeared to be the gates to the Dwarven ruins of Odinfall from the popular fantasy holonovel series Tales of the Hero-Kings. 

McMillan paused, drinking in the sight before them before taking a step forward to enter the alien passage.  “We're here,” she announced.  “The Lightborn is just ahead.”

“Oh uh, that’s great…” Tessa murmured weakly as she followed the other two women.  “Just one more little question,” she asked as she picked her way forward and tried to ignore the glint of light reflecting off the eyes of the sinister statue.  “What’s the Lightborn?” 

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | SuD Lang Dilithium Cargo Bay | The Coreless Moon ] [Show/Hide]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Kaligos @Mathis

Mariner hailed a private channel to the Sabine Pilot, and her personnel picture would be replaced with her face on a small screen next to her vitals. In a favicon on his upper-middle HUD, he read her name and species type, being unfamiliar with it, though in no rush to ask. He awaited an internal camera shot to have the option of catching where she'd look-- either at him or at anything of mission importance...  admittedly, he wanted to have something else to look at when their fields of vision aligned, so that it would be more personal and compartmentalized in case something was afoot.

"Please, Sera, It's just Jimmy to you. Nice flying, by the way, so no harm done." Jimmy always led with politeness when meeting a new crewmate. He knew he could see her eyes through the visor but pretended not to be interested, instead, he focused on the assignment: increasing the range of his personal sensors. "Take point, I'm just here to watch your six. Mine's on the line if anything happens to you."

Jimmy stacked up on Sera, walking in backstep in pike formation as she took the lead; He could see her face in the corner of his eye, but kept watch on the duo's pair and flank, not giving his back to their environment. This was her arena, and Mariner had an odd feeling of being watched, so he needed to make sure no one crept up on them or from above them in the darkness. The coastal-dwelling Australian farmboy decided when they were far enough from the others that this was good a time as any to break the ice with another Theurgy resident on their private channel, but he kept his voice to a whisper, so his audiofilters could assess their surroundings.  "So, how'd a nice girl like you wind up working in a place like this? ...Off the record, of course: what brought you here in the first place?" Mariner spoke as an in-moment comrade in arms, not a security officer. Just then, Jimmy thought he heard that sound again, of liquid dripping, or at least a semi-rhytmic kinetic sound as if something were clicking incessantly. Mariner glanced in the direction of a shadowy outcropping when the station's lights and atmosphere blinked to life, improving Mariner's sense of security, but not changing anything in his alertness.

<ATMO PRESSURE AND GRAVITY RESTORED.
TEMPERATURE REGULATING. AIR FILTERING.
MAKE CONTACT WITH HI'JAK FOR ANY ACCESS NEEDED.
BE ADVISED: DOCKING BAY IS STILL DEPRESSURISED.>

<Mariner to Lieutenant zh'Wann: Let there be light. Cheers.> Mariner texted to Ida's padd. Jimmy returned to his and Sera's private channel. As the minutes and conversation carried out in whispers, Mariner recollected his OCS harsh-survival training from 'Project Eagle' aboard the T'kumbra to carry him through this rocky terrain. Even still, Mariner hadn't done any space walks for about 18 months now and was just a little out of practice, the Security specialist soon made up for it when the gravity came back on line, and reportedly, the atmosphere, but Jimmy trusted his helmet.

It was his turn to take the high ground and pull Sera up, uttering 'cheers' in an expression of thanks when she'd helped him out prior. Jimmy was glad he'd gotten around to building that stationary bycicle in his quarters after all and dedicated time to it that morning, so he could get around without breaking a sweat. "You oughta look into getting that lovely ship of yours a treadmill." Mariner brought up as he followed her up to their path, taking his first real appreciative glance at her hourglass form and her exo-suit's feminine features, still mindful his face was showing up on a corner of her visor. "It's a good way to kill time and get a leg up on outings like these. Good practice for other things, too. Running, kicking, pilates, tango." He smiled, veiling a flirt, unslinging his rifle when they were on their way to the cargo bay Sera interfaced with and opening the doors to... "Crikey." He whispered with a tone of astonishment as the large imposing cargo bay doors opened ahead of him with a louder series of machinery than Mariner would've liked. During the entire encounter, he kept the chatter to a whisper, but this was an octave louder, but only his helmet and hers could hear him-- or so he hoped.

Jimmy's eyes widened a notch as he moved to inspect one of the old rugged olive-colored red-tinted Klingon hover-movers Sera mentioned, taking his carbine in one hand and lowering it as he approached a crate and confirmed Sera's scans to varying degrees of refinement to identify which containers were ready to be loaded. "Too bad we can't call in one of the Vectors to warp in and give us a hand with this stuff. Not to hoard it, but to hopefully use as currency." Mariner clarified, after using his HUD's scanning suites to determine the immediate area was secure. 

"I wouldn't make such a bad pirate myself, but you know: no more greed. My dad used to say in his neighborhood, that you can get further with a kind word and some credits than you can with just a kind word." Jimmy briefly sighed, reminding himself of their overall situation. The bloodsuckers in Starfleet Command, even this mission, this... shaky at best, sortie into a Klingon base. Mariner caught himself eyeing Sera again as if to step in to assist her in scans when he felt he had a moment to afford glancing at her features. He was initially testing first to see if she was looking his way when he caught those feiry orbs whip over at something he happened to be facing and Jimmy saw it too. He couldn't tell if what he saw for a moment was some sort of spider, a dog, or both.

"Contact!" Jimmy hissed as his tricorder indicated movement in the direction of the sighting with a trilling chirp. He holstered his tricorder and gripped his carbine's foregrip, taking aim and a defensive posture near Sera to stack up and form a tight perimiter with her phaser pistol's firing arc. "Careful what you shoot at, most things in here might not react too well to phasers." Mariner hissed in a whisper, keeping his carbine aimed in the 270' arc of the creature's last known position. Of all people, Jimmy knew that a phaser blast in this environment could set the whole stockpile of Dilithium ablaze, and his gun was reactively set to 'sniper' configuration on low-yield stun, his IFF targeting systems gave him a solid assurance of a clear shot, not before. He heard that clicking sound again... only more frequent, and seeming to approach the duo.

<Mariner to Team: Be advised. Possible nonsentient life form spotted in dilithium storage bay. Insectoid. Might be calling for his mates. Standby for happy hour.>  It was an old but offtimes-used euphimism for a potential firefight. Mariner's warning was clear enough to his immediate CO. <Mariner to zh'Wann: Reccomend yellow alert. Target in volatile atmosphere, Opposing force numbers unknown, refined dilithium retrieval under way. Over.> Jimmy trained his rifle and knew from his training that he was entering a delta-state of hyper alertness, otherwise known in the shorthand as the 'fight-or-flight' state of alert.

[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | SS Sabine NX-59846 | SuD Lang Outpost ] attn: @Doc M. @Triage

Starfleet's internal culture had always been one that favoured officers a great deal, and enlisted personnel was pretty well generally expected to be silent, compliant, and mostly invisible to the commissioned luminaries unless they were specifically needed for something.  Eliska had learned that a long time ago, and as a rule she kept her mouth shut and let the officers lead the way.  But that wasn't something she could afford to do just about now.  Oh, she was the lowest ranking member of the entire party; after all, civilians tended to enjoy a spot somewhere between the Chiefs and Warrants and actual officers at the very least.  And in her specific team, she was certainly low bitch on that totem pole.  But from observation?  She was also the most qualified and the one most likely to survive even if things went perfectly smooth from there on out. 

So when she did offer a strong suggestion of the order of march, she'd hoped the good Lieutenant would take it as such... but instead she got an earful.  Granted, ell-tee wasn't exactly an official mode of address, but it was generally tolerated; though primadonna tendencies were hardly unheard of among pilots, so she ought to have expected that kind of response.  And it made sense, given how Lance had first decided to take exception to the recommendations Bremmer had put forward. 

Though the surprise was her retraction, and how quickly she'd accepted to take a back seat...  Which led Eliska to key a private channel to the pilot.  "Ma'am, Lieutenant Goldeneye?  With respect, if you want to play rock, paper, rank, you win; but if it will help, I can recommend a course of action, and call's yours in the end."  But something was left unsaid: time and circumstances permitting.  Bremmer was used to dealing with people whose status towered above her own, from civilian captains to high level diplomats.   But what she did know, she knew it damn well. 

As they made their way deeper into the ruins, it would be clear that Eliska was quite at ease in her suit.  Save for a slight pull at her feet, she was moving in the armoured exosuit with the same kind of grace she would in her regular uniform, or just her own skin for that matter and she was making use of her sensor suite as well as the old-fashioned Mark I eyeball to keep scanning the area around them.  And, of course, she had received the message from the Deputy about the atmosphere being breathable again, and when gravity did come back it was fitful and uneven, but it did beat the 0.08G they had been dealing with since landing.  And while she kept her own helmet sealed, and McMillan's for that matter, he did open up their suits' life support intakes, using the local air instead of their precious, limited supply a they'd walk deeper into the asteroid; after all, the first rule of EVA was 'don't run out of air'. 

And given how clumsy both the pilot and the scientist were, any way to stretch out their life support was a good thing.

Eliska was only peripherally aware of what was being discussed; she was entirely too busy keeping an eye out for things that could hurt them... and the skittering shapes she saw moving here and there; some kind of spiders, at first glance.  Well, if they were anything like bugs back home, they would't bother them unless bothered first.  However when reaching a different set of ruins, the Petty Officer came to a dead stop.

Before her, blocking the path, was some sort of a barrier that didn't appear in the visible light spectrum; if anything, it was her suit's EM scanners that picked whatever was in front of them, but it looked... weird.  "Lieutenant, Warrant, I'm picking up something.... weird here.  My suit's sensors are calling it x-ray-band lasers... but what I'm seeing makes no sense.  I'm not exactly boned up on physics, but I don't think a laser wall that could melt through my suit on contact is supposed to happen."

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SuD Lang Command Center ]
[Show/Hide]It seemed the rash scientist knew better than to challenge her further, eventually turning back to his computer console and asking for the message Ives had to Martok. Since Hi'Jak offered no immediate threat, Ida shifted her grip on the stock of her rifle so that she could read from the Forearm PADD, and keyed up the Captain's Message.

"Chancellor Martok, this is Captain Jien Ives of the Federation starship Theurgy, and I am sending this message because the truth about recent events in Federation space has been tarnished by a common enemy. An enemy, of the likes we have yet seen since the Dominion War, where the repute of our leadership and the veracity of Starfleet Command's orders could be questioned. The Changelings infiltrated the Admiralty of our fleet, just like it usurped the power of the Klingon Empire. We both now face the same possibility, and even the current means of detection is crude, it is my hope that this message will reach your Empire in time. It is also my hope that you will remember how Starfleet and Klingon fought together last this happened, and that you will heed this call to arms before doubt takes hold."

Ida clenched her jaw, hoping that the Ridgeheads would heed her Captain, and continued to recite Ives' message. "The means of detection is of import, and while I hope to speak with you directly, you must learn of it, should my ship be destroyed before then. Maximum stun, while the Klingon subject is not forewarned, and then have him - or her - scanned. If the subject's readings show anything else than what they should, that he - or she - is not entirely subdued, then the subject might be host to a parasite that exist in flux. This enemy thrives on chaos, tearing down all construct and society, meaning to return all of Galactic civilisation to its primordial state. It has taken actions to send all powers into war, and thrives in the process of anti-creation."

Pausing, Ida then added the last part. "Be vigilant, and do not trust the Federation media outlets. The crew of my ship knows the truth of this, and we are therefore a target. We are protecting this truth with our lives, at great cost, and we hope to spread the word before it is too late. Contact me through the encrypted subspace channel included in this message, and the key to the encryption... is the answer you gave me on Romulus, when I asked you about the future of the Empire, back when the Romulan peace talks ended. Let us speak, and perhaps we'll find a different answer."

Saying this, Ida then directed herself to Hi'Jak. "My PADD's ID is Alpha-Niner-Epsilon-Five. Transmitting the file now. Make sure it is attached to the message you send."

This was when Ensign Mariner spoke up over the comm channel, and Ida glanced back in the direction of the door. She doubted there was any kind of yellow alert setting on SuD Lang, and it served them little. "This is Ida to all teams," she said, "alert the others if these insectoids are indeed hostile. The creatures may not engage us, but if they do, give the rest fair warning."

Then, she turned to Hi'Jak. "Is the message sent?"

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Command Center: 1) @Kaligos  2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) @Mathis 2) @Striker N7
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @Triage 2) @Doc M. 3) @CanadianVet 

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | SuD Lang control room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Hearing the message Jack had to draw the conclusion that he had been betrayed. Trent had promised him the ability to adapt and approve any messages that were sent between him and the Klingon Empire. Doing so he would have been able to tell the captain that telling Martok a man who had once said that he would sooner die than betray the honor of his uniform, and who has backed those words with every action he had taken while High Chancellor, to shoot his own men in the back would be stupid and foolish. It was why he had demanded more time before he had to present this parasite theory as fact to his empire. It was why he had spoken out as a skeptic to the situation.

Because the truth, and their way of finding the truth would not work for the empire. If Martok was free of influence and he tested this on some of his men he would be challenged for his seat and be dishonored as a mad man. If Martok was a parasite this would have the entire empire rain down upon the Theurgy in an attempt to suppress the information, and it would be used to declare open war with the Federation claiming that they had been infiltrated from the inside.

What was more the fact that it was a direct message from Ives to the Empire meant that if he sent this it would be clear to the empire who was sending it out, and once his name was written in as a failed operative, or a captured man, he would be marked for death it was another thing that he had told Trent he had wished to avoid.

He had to send something however, accessing the pad with the message. He didn't really have the time to completely alter the message if he took too long than he would get shot by Ida and die here.

He could just leave the message here, not send out anything, but when would be the next time he would have access to a Klingon computer core? This was a chance to speak to his homeland. He couldn't alter the message too much, but he could change who it went too, that was easy enough.

If Jack handed it to his handlers in Imperial Intelligence he would be disavowed any of the other houses could use this information to attack Martok who was the only one holding the dogs of war back. He needed someone week, someone that could command one or a handful of ships, but who's actions would make him worthless in regard to taking a seat. Someone the empire could overlook sending ships, and whom the parasites had no reason to infest because they were a laughing stock within the empire.

He needed Drex, Martok's failure of a son. Drex had a ship, his father's name, but none of the actions that would make him capable of usurping his father. If Drex acted out his various disgraces would prevent Martok from giving the full support. Ives would get the ear they wanted, and there would be less of a chance for a direct war. Just the actions of one bold idiot who's reputation would stop him from ascending any further to the throne.

Jack could at some later time swoop in and kill Drex in an honorable combat, and take that ship, re-integrate into klingons, and have a deed to his name. General status could fall into the half breeds lap.

Of course that hinged on no one ever knowing where this message came from.

"oH pongwIj'e Hi'Jak, DaHjaj ta'be'nalwI'  moj matlh, eH USS Theurgy, tIj yaH pe'vIlHa. mu' 'oH HoD, qIm Dun vIt QamtaH chaH. wa'logh ghu' yaj SoH, Qaw' SuD Lang." Attatching the message to his smaller one, he sent it via a secure direct connection to the ship which Drex commanded.

"Message away Lieutenant." The moment he got back to the Theurgy he would take actions against this woman. If she was acting on her own than the command would have some words for her. If she wasn't, and this assassination at gun point had been ordered, well, hey there was always a chance that she wouldn't make it back to the ship alive.

~~~
Translation: [Show/Hide]

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SuD Lang Command Center ]
[Show/Hide]Looking at the halfbreed, Ida frowned, unable to shake the notion that the younger man had resigned a tad too quickly to doing as he was told. Then again, perhaps the words of the Captain had gotten through to the scientist, and there was no greater cause for concern. Trent's report had painted the Junior Lieutenant up to be somewhat of a simpleton, but then again, it would not be the first time an Intelligence operative did not let on how sharp he was. Rez had them all fooled, her open and friendly nature as a counsellor having been a facade for a ruthless field agent that would have killed them all if her mission parameters had been met.

"Don't worry, Ridgehead," she said, sighing as she looked him in the eye, rifle at her side, "the Captain knows what he is doing. He - or she - knows Martok. Have faith in how, together, they will be able to figure this out. We'll have a strong ally in Martok."

This was the precise moment when the inhabitants on SuD Lang made themselves known. A rattling sound, the new air in the outpost acting as a conduit. Ida heard it through the receptors in her helmet, and saw a long shadow cast across the wall. She rounded on the creature, seeing how it had emerged through the old outpost's maintenance chute. It was not even a conscious act, how she had the stock of her rifle against her shoulder and the sights aligned. She stared at it through the targeting scope, curling her upper lip at the sight.

It was ugly thing, clearly insectoid, iridescent reflections from the room's lighting coming off it's chitin and mandibles. Dark eyes, several of them, fitted in soulless features. The clatter of its claws seemed light compared to the size of its limbs, the head being level with her hip, and it made a bloodcurdling, clicking sound that was universal to the ears of all manner of prey. It was hungry, and heading straight for them - moving faster than any bug had any right to.

"Contact," said Ida, surprised at how calm she sounded when she squeezed the trigger of her rifle.

Her phaser bolts struck through the chitin armour of the bug as if it was wet tissue paper, chunks of hidden meat and ichor spilling unto the floor. It screeched at them in agony, denied its feast, before it collapsed in a heap of quivering legs.

Where the first one fell, two more emerged from the chute.

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Command Center: 1) @Kaligos  2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) @Mathis 2) @Striker N7
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @Triage 2) @Doc M. 3) @CanadianVet 

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | SuD Lang control room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Of course Jack was interested in this crew, and it wasn't like he hadn't wanted to help, but it was clear more or less that he had been betrayed by this crew, and that was what he could expect. Looking at Ida he wanted to find someway he could get rid of her, make a statement that his trust was not something to fuck with. He had been promised the power to vet messages and this captain had just fucked him.

Of course he wasn't going to play by their rules in that situation, and there was the fact that this racist Andorian bitch refereed to him as Ridgehead, not giving him any credence to the rank he had earned though it was lower than hers, he still deserved to at least get called by his last name. Especially when he had just at least from her perspective complied with her orders. "Must you constantly be the most belligerent person?"

Still he couldn't outright kill her, but that also didn't mean he had to expend any energy to save her.  He just needed some opportunity to... wait why were the motion sensors picking up movement.

He quickly looked over the map for a second, switching his display to the security feeds before his own question was answered for him with the sudden appearance of what had come out of the stations piping. Jack's brain froze when he saw the multi legged horrific creature that seemed to drop ungracefully before them, before it looked them over. For a moment he had Ida's back to him, and he was glad that she both served as a wall between him and that creature, and that she had finally turned away.

As yet more crawled free from their imprisonment in the walls, he glanced at the exit. How easy it would be to just run, with Ida destracted he could leave her to die against the infestation.

But then what? The only ship in the hanger had been the Sabine, he had the codes for the thing sure Sera had taught them to him while he was being a co-pilot. He had been set up in the ships registry. Their was also the valkyrie out there, far more  manuverable, but he had no idea how to fly it.

Both would leave Sera, and the rest of them. As much as he loathed Ida he knew that if he wanted to make it off this rock in one piece, if he wanted to avoid the noose with either the Federation or the Empire, the only ship in the galaxy where he could technically have sanctuary was the theurgy.

So the blue bitch had to live.

He grabbed her shoulder, pulling her away from the creatures, and into movement. The moment both he and Ida were past the door he hit the controls. "lojmIt yIngaQmoH, NaD, Varris Mohg." The door sealed in time to hear a loud thud as one of the bugs slammed it's body against the exit. Screaming in whatever hellbeast tongue it had behind the solid door, before it was cut off by the room being completely sealed off.

On his PADD he had access to the entirety of SuD Lang and her systems, and as he went over the motion sensors things were starting to come alive. "We need to get out of here."


There was nothing he could do to really contian or destroy the seemingly demonic infestation, probably one reason the station had been truly abandoned. The Hakkarl would be there in a few hours to destroy the base anyway. They just needed to make sure that they were gone before the others showed up.
~~
translation
[Show/Hide]

[ Heather McMillan (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Heather_McMillan) | Entrance to the Lightborn Ruins | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Kaligos, @CanadianVet, @Striker N7, @Mathis, @Havenborn, @Josie & @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]Now that she was this close to uncovering a centuries-old mystery of the origins of her people, Heather McMillan felt no more pain. It was there, her head was splitting wide open like a cracked eggshell, but she could set it aside, for now. Taking out her PADD in one hand, and the tricorder in the other, she turned to look at Bremmer, and then Lance, and smiled, her face glowing within the suit. “These are my people,” said McMillan, “I'm quite sure of it.”

Grinning from ear to ear in sheer excitement, she turned back, then added without looking behind her, “Oh, Lieutenant Lance? Cascadium is a kind of metal unique to my people. It is a metal that responds to my light. I never really noticed until quite recently. And the Lightborn...well, I think I am one...”

She glanced down at her PADD and frowned, “I think the translation's off by quite a bit, though...I imagine, I can't decipher the words or language...yet.”

She'd just need a few hours with all this. Well, a few hours free of pain and sickness.

And she'd need to set aside some time to pay attention to Carrigan Trent.

She stepped onto the carved road. Trace lines etched in an artistic manner lit up immediately, igniting from under her feet, and going all the way along the path, right up the walls, and even all around the statues, the whole one, and the broken, allowing all a good look at the markings. It was like a story being told all across the structure, the gates, and everything else, and yet, a silent song that made no sense. McMillan for her part did not know why she thought it was a song rather than something spoken in words. A low hum made her look up to see that the eyes of the lone statue shone brightly, and it seemed as it the eyes of the monolithic design was now fixed on her, on Bremmer and on Lance.

“Hold on...I-I mean...wait here...just a moment.” said McMillan, one hand upraised to stall the other two. She heard what Bremmer said about the x-ray bands. The gates were pulsing with a myriad of coloured lights, emiting through the lines and curves of the lost civilization's language. She adjusted the strength of her boots' magnets, so that she could almost walk normally. She needed every ounce of grace and agility that she could muster, if what she suspected was true. Moving forward, but in a sideways manner, McMillan slowly drew nearer towards the massive gates, the feeling of the statue's eyes lingering on her never dissipating, but instead growing more certain as she drew closer.

She looked back, to see if the other two had followed or stayed, and noticed that unlike her, light did not emerge from under their feet. “I think it could be some sort of security system...but...why would my people make such things?”

It went against a pacifist nature. Especially what she had been taught about the Radiant. They wouldn't raise their hands even in defense. So a security system? She hadn't stopped approaching the gates, and now she felt a humming that sent vibrations from right under her feet, and she watched in horror as the statue's eyes grew brighter, the hands lowered from its crossed position and the legs shifted. Somehow, she knew it signalled an imminent attack. Casting a panicked glance at Bremmer, the Radiant used her left hand to remove the gauntlet of her right, and she raised her hand up, immitating the pattern of light that only she could vaguely make out. The x-rays that Bremmer mentioned, and she shouted a warning, “Avert your eyes!”

She let her light shine through that bare hand, frantic, and without a clue if she was doing this right. “Stop!” she shouted at the statue.

The statue stopped. Silence filled the air.

Then, the gates slowly grated open.

Lowering her hand, McMillan allowed the light of her hand to dim so that her companions could safely look in her general direction without getting blinded.

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Docking Bay | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Striker N7
[Show/Hide]Wary of whatever was lurking in the far shadows of the dilithium processing area, Sera found herself quite grateful for the Starfleet phaser in her gauntleted hand, even if she'd heed the advise not to shoot unless she had to. She listened to Jimmy as he reported the sighting to the Andorian mission leader, and after hearing the brief answer, Sera supposed it was too early to tell whether or not the creatures they'd glimpsed were hostile. Nonetheless, she certainly wasn't going to take any risks. Whenever she encountered something in the places she scavenged across the Galaxy, rarely as it happened, the creatures were often famished, having lived off whatever fungi and moisture remaining in the deep subterranean abyss.

"Let's hope they are just overgrown tribbles, right?" she said, her dry tone betraying how much she doubted it. It was not the first time something had come crawling after restoring atmosphere in a dig-site. Now, it was too late, the air restored to breathe and no means to vent all of SuD Lang quickly with such old Klingon tech. As she resumed to walk towards the farthest side of the area, and the door to the refined dilithium, she kept her phaser at her side with two hands around the grip - the visor of her Câroon helmet moving slowly from side to side. She could still hear them in the distance, making clicking noises, scraping the reinforced plating they moved across. Burn me, definitely not Tribbles...

Without being able to sight whatever had stirred in SuD Lang, Sera did reach the far side of the area after another minute. She looked away from the shadows to check the condition of the reinforced door. It looked the same as she'd left it, the disruptor rifle she had lost on Starbase 84 had been able to carve gashes into it, but in the end, she had triggered a security system, and she had abandoned the attempt. I might have better luck with it now.

"Sera to Jack and zh'Wann," she said, fingers on the side of her helmet to access the comm frequency to her newfound lover and the Andorian in the base's Ops center. "Could I bother you to open the security area in dilithium processing? We're at the door now."

While she spoke with Jack, she didn't see the shadows coming alive behind her.

---

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | Outside SuD Lang Command Center ] Attn: @Kaligos
[Show/Hide]Ida had chosen a kill-setting on her rifle, which might not have been according to protocol, but it had happened intuitively, having judged the threat too quick and and armoured to stop with a stun setting. By Lor'Vela, so much for First Contact... It also became clear that the current residents of SuD Lang not only scurried across the floor. Indeed, the creatures had leaped unto the work stations in the Command Center once they were clear from the maintenance chute. There were more coming, their imminent arrival clearly heard as their talons scraped against metal. The sharp ends of each leg looked like curved parsteel blades.

She had been ready to fire again, to stand her ground, but the Klingon spy tugged at her shoulder, and she needn't be asked twice if he saw a way for them to extract themselves in time. And they did, ending up in the corridor outside and with the door shut and the Command Center sealed. Still, Ida stepped up to the reinforced glass that allowed her to look through the door, seeing how the creatures were pouring into the room. A moment later, the glass was splattered with some kind of blue, corrosive substance, making her back away a step. Evidently, they spit too... Dissolving their prey for ingestion....

In her helmet, Ida then heard the voice of Fire-Eyes. [Could I bother you to open the security area in dilithium processing? We're at the door now.]

She saw that the spy had the presence of mind to reroute the antiquated command access to his PADD, and she nodded appreciatively that he had done so unbidden. Even if her heart beat fast in her chest because of the assault of the creatures, she cleared her throat. "zh'Wann to all teams, the creatures are clearly hostile and armoured with thick chitin armour. Avoid contact or defend yourselves. Weapons free."

After Hi'Jak had spoken with Sera and handled the matter with the door, Ida set their steps back towards the Sabine, since there was no reason to stay at their current location. "Seems you think on your toes, Ridgehead," she began to say, and realised why he might have called her belligerent. It made her sigh mentally, realising she had to explain some of her own native culture if the younger man were to swallow his hurt pride and accept that he was a junior officer and didn't get to decide the course of the mission. She was just the messenger, but it was her duty to enforce her message got through.

She bit her teeth together, rifle raised and eyes along the sights as she walked, but she spoke through the helmet to the scientist. "Are you offended by me calling you Ridgehead?" she asked after pausing, taking a deep breath, "Andorians do not mean any disrespect by doing so (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php/topic,1066.msg5717.html#msg5717), Junior Lieutenant. I was raised to speak this way. Just like we merely use a fraction of our full names when communing amongst each other, we tend to give nicknames to people around us. It is a a cultural habit of ours," she explained in a low voice, her eyes searching the shadows as they moved. Talking about something else than the imminent threat helped her to focus.

"True, before the formation of the Federation, we mistrusted strangers and used the name in the way you describe, yet over the centuries since First Contact, the expressions have become commonplace - changing meaning like words tend to do. Now, it's a form of casual recognition, where we call Bajorans Ridgenoses, Klingons Ridgeheads, Humans Pinkskins, etc. Yet not out of belittlement, for Andorians knows that we are quite easy targets to be made fun of - should that have been the case - given our quite... exotic appearance. My apologies, Junior Lieutenant, for while I may have to enforce orders, I meant no offence."

Talking helped calm her nerves, Ida eyeing every shadow as they carefully made their way back.

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Command Center: 1) @Kaligos (Feel free to add spiders!)  2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) @Striker N7 (Feel free to add spiders!) 2) Auctor Lucan
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @Doc M. (Feel free to add spiders!) 2) @CanadianVet 3) @Triage 

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | Outside SuD Lang control room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Oh great they spit fucking acid! Like these things weren't already the most horrific monsters he had ever seen in his life. Jack's heart pounded in his chest for a moment as he looked over what had just happened, the world outside of his EV suit seeming infinetly more terrifying and the protection offered by that suit seemingly completely pathetic. Now more than ever he wished he had been given the tactical pilot suit or something better than this.


"I should be used too it by now Liutenant, but in truth it's a touchy subject." Jack said as he picked up on Sera's message and got to work on the problem, setting himself to his task, it didn't take long for him to access the door.

"Mellon*." He said to himself jokingly as he unlocked the door to the security center and the dilithium hold. "Your good Sera, doors are unlocked, ready to open at your pleasure."

"I only have half a name." Jack said shaking his head for a moment, the context of andorian culture was not something he had considered previously, did it matter? did it make it better? well in truth the context and the step forward was appreciated, but at the same time any slight towards his race always felt sensitive, his face was not something he found attractive, and he had always stood apart from others. Being called Ridgehead instead of his own name, well it was just another out casting moment. "In Klingon culture, you carry the name of your house established by your ancestors great deeds. Only a father can pass on their house name, unless a mother has done some deed great enough to earn a special exemption of the rules. So me being a half breed, with a human father. I get to be Hi'Jak, my half siblings got to share their fathers house, and his deeds and his ancestors. If I were to die approach the gates of Stovokor, and they were to look upon my name and lack of a house i'd be cast from the bridge, no name no house, nothing would recall me."

His fingers tapped along the PADD as he accessed the system and got to work on unlocking the door that Sera was in front of, at the same time he was also trying to look for a safe path, with internal sensors going nuts it was like they had woken up an entire swarm. Which made navigation while talking and working difficult, but there was a point to this story, and if there had ever been a time to share it, well now would be the only chance he got.

"I decided early in life that wasn't good enough. That I needed a deed, that I would do anything to have a full name. So I joined the academy of the first city, I would become a warrior and fight my way up to serve my empire. But I learned really quickly that I am a pathetic warrior."

Jack walked trying to stay away from the vents, but they could hear the skittering all around them now, it was tense, and he shook his head trying to think as he typed. He had to focus on his work, both because he had the map, and because if he didn't he would be so shitting himself right now. He decided that story time made the most sense in helping him stay calm, even if this wasn't a story he liked to tell. He showed Ida the map and silently indicated the path they were going to take towards the ruins so he could continue his story, of course she would be able to see the hundreds of red plips that made up the enemy of the day. Whatever those things were there had been a lot of them, and apparently they were making more or something because it seemed like there were more crawling. Every now and then from the shadows claws and fangs hisses and cries would show themselves struggling to get out of the vents and towards the food.

"I lasted three months, before I was woken up in the middle of the night, dragged into a room with twenty other half breeds each who had wanted to serve the empire. Speaking to any of the others would earn you a quick beating. We were addressed by Gowron himself... We were told that there was an enemy, and a war brewing, that though we were the scraps of the empire we would have a greater purpose, not with honor but with service, and that we would go to the Federation. Over the next few years we were trained, and filtered into the academy twenty half breeds showing up at once would have raised red flags. You can say what you want about Gowron, and how my job may have been a lark, a joke to get unwanted halfbreeds out of the empire's sight but... I remember being told I had been chosen for this and thinking 'finally a chance to prove to my empire that I could be worth something!' I was young, and I had just been given orders from the emperor himself you can't imagine the high that gives you."

As Jack finished one part of his story a leg of a critter would swipe at them from a locked vent, Jack just hurried his pace and tried not to piss his pants hoping that the walls wouldn't break.

Jack shook his head. Of course now he had a few more thoughts on the empire having seen it from inside it and outside of it, but he didn't want to get political. "During the training there were no names used. We were all being trained to be spies we couldn't risk recognizing one another. After that it was Starfleet academy. I was terrified, earth was the farthest I had ever been from my empire, I had just spent a year being taught that this was the enemy, and I was in their schools I couldn't get close to anyone, so yet more insults came my way. Earth was somehow less hospitable than Qo'Nos.  Then came 84, and my boss was a joke, I gave up the people there didn't even know my name half the time. I was never gonna get a chance to have respect I could have a rank, but I would never have a friend or a home hell my co-workers couldn't even remember my name."

"Now I have a chance for a deed worthy of a full name, but all I can think of is how that name would go down in history. 'wrote a letter to home, and because of that billions of people died.' If your captain is wrong, and I just beat the drums of war, than I have to spend the rest of my life being the guy who started the galactic war. I don't know your captain, I don't know you, I have no reason to trust you when you so easily point that gun at me, so the least you can do lieutenant Ida is use my name because no one else in this fucking galaxy does."

~~~
OOC:

*Mellon: Elvish for friend, (speak friend and enter)

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | SuD Lang Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ]   Atten:  @CanadianVet, @Triage 

”Lieutenant, Warrant, I'm picking up something.... weird here,” Petty Officer Eliska Bremmer  reported.  “My suit's sensors are calling it x-ray-band lasers... but what I'm seeing makes no sense.  I'm not exactly boned up on physics, but I don't think a laser wall that could melt through my suit on contact is supposed to happen."

“Oh my gosh!  What could it be?” Lieutenant Tessa Lance chirped.

"Hold on...I-I mean...wait here...just a moment." Provisional Warrant Officer Heather McMillan stammered as she raised an admonishing hand.

“Um, are they supposed to be doing that?” Tessa timidly asked as Heather inched forward hesitantly.  The gates to the ruins of the Lightborn were shining with a myriad of colorful lights, the emissions pulsing through arcane hieroglyphs previously hidden by the dust and darkness.  

Heather looked back at Tessa and Eliska. "I think it could be some sort of security system...but...why would my people make such things?"

Taking the time for a closer look, Tessa stared at the glowing runes in disbelief, “Holy cow, it looks just like the entrance to the ruins of Odinfall!  And what’s happening to your feet…  Ooh!  Never mind that; did you say ‘security system’?  As in a ‘deal with intruders’ kind of security system?  As in the kind that can hurt you…”  Suddenly the plucky pilot let out a terrified squeak and pointed at the statue behind the little scientist.   “Heather!  Look out behind you!”

The statues eyes began to glow with an eldritch light.  A strange vibration that Tessa hoped was the variable microgravity of the hollow moon accompanied the glow, turning a visual effect into something that paralyzed the pilot with fear.  

Acting quickly Heather actually removed her right glove to reveal a hand that was glowing with the same eerie light as the glowing runes.  "Avert your eyes!" the little scientist warned them.

As Tessa closed her eyes she heard Heather give a shout that Gandalf the Grey would be proud of.

"Stop!" Heather ordered.

Silence, then a dragging vibration as the Gates to Odinfall opened.

“Jinkies, are you some kind of wizard or what?” Tessa burbled without a trace of sarcasm as she opened her eyes and took some unsteady steps forward to follow Heather and Eliska into the ruins of the Lightborn… whoever they were.  “Honestly, this whole thing seems like something out of Tales of the Hero-Kings.  At least we don’t gotta worry about monsters or anything.  Goblins and Orcs can’t survive an airless vacuum.  Now that you’ve shut off the security system, it should be safe now.”

Behind them, a flat rocky bulge approximately a sixth of a meter in diameter on the floor behind them expanded like a rubber raft being inflated until it rose from the deck and unfolded its legs in an eerily fluid motion.  Three hind legs were attached to the flat disk-like body before being divided into two more jointed and articulated legs that ended in tiny feet that appeared to be sharp hooks.  It scuttled behind them almost silently in the thin dusty atmosphere and when similar bulges on the floor and walls of the tunnel started sprouting legs it was clear that the spidery creature wasn’t alone.

[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | SS Sabine NX-59846 | SuD Lang Outpost ] attn: @Doc M.  @Triage

"Roger that, Ell-Tee." 

Eliska's acknowledgement was on the channel the away team's security detachment shared, but as she spoke she never took her eyes off the statues before them.  They looked ancient, and not quite human... and there was something about them that made the fine hairs at the back of her neck stand on end.  Oh yes, there was something ominous there.  She'd yet to get an answer either way, but the Petty Officer was certain that while there could be lasers in the x-ray band, they weren't supposed to behave like that... but then again, she knew her role on this mission: she was the muscle for Warrant MacMillan, and her job was to keep that sunny little thing in one piece; and, while on paper Goldeneye was supposed to augment her security presence, Eliska harboured serious doubts as to her usefulness in a scrap...

Even as the Radiant moved towards what she identified as a security system, Eliska followed, her rifle in her shoulder and pointed towards the statue with spotlights for eyes.  Her thumb was near the power selector controls, ready to drive them all the way up to maximum to take the bloody thing apart if she had to.  And it was getting close to there... until MacMillan, of all things, removed one gauntlet and her hand started to glow brighter and brighter, until the filters of her exosuit's faceplate darkened automatically as the brightness was reaching genuine retina-searing levels.  And the emanations Eliska's suit sensors read as being a threat ended as the scientist simply shouted... 

What in the world was going on? 

While the doors opened, the Security officer spoke to her charge, somewhat sharply at that.  "Warrant, put that gauntlet back on. It's just sheer dumb luck there's an atmosphere beyond those doors, but for all we know it's a hard vacuum behind the next ones."  Eliska knew damn well she was the most junior member of this team, and by rights even the PWO could order her around if she was so inclined.  But while so far she'd steered the Warrant around with suggestions and advice, this time there was no such nicety; she was her bodyguard, and charged with keeping her alive.  And not wearing her full suit in this environment was definitely not conducive to that particular desired end-result. 

Though no sooner had she spoken that Bremmer turned around, her suit's sensors warning her of motion around them.  As she turned around, she saw the ground and walls start to ripple... no, her eyes were not playing tricks on her, and shapes were detaching themselves from the stone.  Shapes with long, spindly legs that terminated with long claws.  How those things had survived the cold and the vacuum, Bremmer did not care about.  What she saw, though, was that atmosphere, light, warmth and their presence seemed to be waking them up...

"Warrant, kindly move with a sense of urgency with that gauntlet, and keep the ell-tee or myself between you and them."  Eliska's voice was cool and calm, but carried the hard edge of a consummate professional even if she'd referred to Goldeneye in a term she hardly cared for.  But this was not a time for niceties, it was a time to make sure everyone came back...  "And Warrant, if you're planning to take a look in there, let's make it quick, before too many of these things wake up and start coming at us... something tells me they might be hungry after fuck-knows-how-long they've been hibernating or whatever."

[ Heather McMillan (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Heather_McMillan) | Entrance to the Lightborn Ruins | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @CanadianVet & @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]Don't throw up...don't throw up...please don't throw up... McMillan repeated to herself over and over in her mind. She felt more sick than ever, and her equilibrium couldn't decide if she was standing upright or on her head. She really wanted to throw up, which would be pretty disgusting inside her helmet. So she did her best to quell her queasiness, and to force her head back up as she slowly straightened up from the bent position she'd suddenly found herself in. Normally, using her light was almost pleasurable, ever since she stopped suppressing it, and it was addictive. But right now, it hurt to suppress, and hurt even more to use beyond just the normal manner of use in which she was a walking aurora.

“I...I cannot...” said McMillan, gasping for breath, “I'm sorry...but that statue is...active and still...watching us. If I cover my hand it might attack us again. You need to...stay close to me.”

She looked towards Bremmer and then doubled over for a moment, clutching her midsection with her still-covered hand. But she kept the other hand in view of the statue, and let all her light go to just her hand, so that the rest of her body went dark. It hurt less now, but she had to get this looked into soon, or she was in real trouble. She knew...she was sick. Very sick, and getting worse, but this was the only chance they had to find out about her people. She needed to know. She also knew that Bremmer was irked with her for her reckless action. The tiny Radiant didn't dare incur more fury from the woman, but she didn't know what else she could do. And she was still puzzling out why her people would have something lethal guarding their sanctuary. As far as her Wisdoms knew, all Radiant were instinctually and genetically passive. It was impossible to even think of a violent thought without feeling so filthy and horrible. Sometimes Heather would cry if she so much as thought about frowning at a puppy.

Not that she'd ever frown at a puppy.

Raising her tricorder, she scanned the interior, and to her pleasant surprise, found that it was nearly identical to Earth's atmosphere beyond the doors. “There's actually a better atmosphere in there, ma'am,” said McMillan, perking up so suddenly. She still felt ill, but hopefulness buoyed her spirits a bit, and nearly threw up again when she recalled what she heard Bremmer warning her about, and then seeing it for herself. But more than that, she noticed the statue was also reacting to them. The sparks and flow of cascading light around the eyes began to work again, but this time not aimed at her, Bremmer or Lance. “We should go inside...now.”

Clutching her stomach, her exposed hand held up, she placed that glowing hand on Lance and smiled at the pilot in a queasy manner, “Hardly a wizard...” she said, remembering vaguely hearing her ask her that question, “...c'mon. Let's go see what's inside, yeah?”

She felt less afraid around Lance. It was probably because she was nearly as bad as she was at walking around here, or maybe the woman's nature just made her more approachable to someone as timid as McMillan, especially with Bremmer or Ida for comparison, two imposing women who made the little Radiant jump just by being around. But more terrifying right now were those spiders, and she didn't even have time to scream when one skittered towards her and the others when a coherent beam of multicoloured light struck the creature, and when the beam vanished, so did the spider. Gently tugging Lance to go on ahead, she then made a retreat for the large door, which was starting to close again, “Bremmer please hurry!” said McMillan, holding her light up and she stood near the door, acting as the buffer against them being targeted by the sentry, intending to leap in after Bremmer once she was inside.

From where she stood, she could see what looked like a few swollen petrified trees with holes or doors in them at strategic locations. There was a hangar bay in the easternmost side that sank into a small valley, and what might be a commercial sector towards the west, branching from the residential centre.

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | SuD Lang Docking Bay | Klingon Mining Outpost ]   Atten:  @CanadianVet, @Triage 

“Wow, looks like I spoke too soon!” Tessa chirped as she turned to look at the creatures that had gotten Bremmer and McMillan’s attention.  She jerked and let out an involuntary squeak as one of the spiders darted forward only to be disintegrated by a security system that was probably older than Zephram Cochrane’s physics degree. 

Heather tugged on Tessa’s arm to let her know that she could still be in the line of fire as she held up her glowing hand to pacify the sentry again.  "Bremmer please hurry!" the little scientist implored the remaining member of their party.

Tessa turned and staggered into a large cathedral-like chamber or cavern carved out of the crumbling stone that invoked the fantasy realms of the Dwarves like the Mines of Moria, Thorbardin, or Odinfall.   Pinnacles of stone disappeared into the darkness above but not before revealing openings that indicated they were buildings, indoor towers of some sort.  What information she could pull off her tricorder indicated that the cavity in the shattered moon was huge, big enough to contain an entire settlement at one time.

---

OOC:  I need some indication of what Tessa’s seeing if I’m to describe it!

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | SuD Lang Dilithium Cargo Bay | The Coreless Moon ] [Show/Hide]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Kaligos

"Affirmative, Left-tenant. My team needs access to the doors to get the goods out. But we're in a bloody Shelob's nest here. Securing both the goods and our necks now. Keep yours on a swivel. Mariner out." Jimmy confirmed on a reply to his CO, his inner-soldier now at full operational capacity. Eight weeks at the notoriously-selective Vulcan boot camp had been admittedly-biased toward Romulans and their hooded, faceless unidentified (later-confirmed as Reman; codenamed the 'Shadow Guard') foot soldiers. Damned nightmares to adapt against, but a measurement to rival and prepare for.

As a result of a mandatory fortnight during training, amidst perpetual darkness, Mariner had something of a familiar advantage when comparing this engagement to something in his comfort zone: the Vulcan Starfleet Security instructors took an approach that included preparation for sudden contrasts. During his training cruise, he could be fighting in arid Vulcan deserts one day, and suddenly deep, possibly underwater caverns underground that required a familiarity with so-called "night ops" gear at only a moment's notice to pursue fleeing adversaries. The intenton was to hunt the elite 'Romulan' Shadow Guard in subterranean caverns within the terrain of a Federation Founder world. Being Australian and raised with few cities around for many hundreds of kilometers, Jimmy was capable of finding his path the darkness of deep Australian moonless nights by the time the ensign was old enough to brush his teeth. He bared them when it was time to entirely remember his Project Eagle training and engage his current foe accordingly.

But despite his respect for his department chief and deputy-chief, Ensign James Mariner cared about more than a good post-combat-debriefing: A good war story.

His HUD light up with textual advisory warnings:


Opposing Force: Overwhelming! - Recommend Retreat -


Run from a fight, yeah right. Jimmy scoffed at his HUD's readout, despite the characteristic 'no-retreat, no-surrender' attitude that cost many the life of a fellow redshirt, Mariner had to face the facts: He was outnumbered and he could be ambushed and swarmed at any time, there were more of these... things crawling out of everywhere, including...

Jimmy glued his eyes at the enemy's origin points directly ahead but he abruptly bounded about four feet back, increased both the fire rate and stun setting to a higher voltage. Without warning, Mariner fired two resounding bolts from his rifle in the ceiling directly above him and Sera, apparently at random. Where he'd been standing there were two resounding kinetic impacts, as if two beehives had been clipped from a tree and landed nearby. A sickening hissing sound was heard as the floor showed signs of corrosion beneath the fallen arachnids.

THUD! THUD--Splat!

"That's no Tribble. Not bloody 'Pulakoo', either." Jimmy affirmed, his sensors catching a quick but informative scan of the alien spider's acid-drenched carcass from his suit's computer for later identification. Jimmy summarily obeyed the first Australian rule of the wilderness-- "Run!" Mariner observed his own advice out of instinct, blurting out his father's old term for a sticky situation involving a nest of trouble that would soon be untenable if Jimmy and his fellow intruder didn't leave it at once.

To Sera, he quipped on their local channel, "Real pirates know when to fight, and when to run away. Old tradition. A lot of running involved, so let's go!" Jimmy pressed his point as he leveled his phaser rifle and summoned his favorite settings.

Rapid-Fire Mode:<<--Engaged-->>

The footfalls of the spiders increased as more and more of these creatures began to appear by the dozens at first, then came Mariner's response to the sound of hail falling at fill force over a thin roof, a most unpleasant personal experience. Mariner pressed a directional-pad shaped 4-button hotkey button that gave him fire options at the push of a button and weapon intensity with a similar-corresponding intensity setting.

"Tell your mates, beasties: This one's... for Frodo."  The comment was only heard on the local private frequency as the sound of phased energy rectification radiated out of Mariner's carbine at just under the fire rate of a comparable Jem'Hadar assault rifle. This was a model which Jimmy had specifically studied and preset his fire rate as one of four presets on his personalized settings. Personally, he loathed automatic fire but for suppression purposes or -- more bitterly, to the inner-soldier's mind-- for 'a tactical reassessment of his surroundings'. That was Jimmy's story and he was sticking to it in his report. 'Retreat' wasn't in his vocabulary, no matter the logic. This had been the tagline of his signature officer-exam final report, whatever he'd call this scenario, Mariner afforded his fall back with several phaser bolt volleys that saw a growing kill count on his HUD as the sonic filtered phaser fire left a growing wake of dead and mutilated spiders.

"Oi, Sera? We've only got so many of our shots versus so many of their bloody creepers." Mariner told Sera as he found himself and his charge finding themselves in a position that would soon be out of room as the smell of copper filled the filtration systems. One seemingly-redundant feature he'd forgotten to turn off. Rather, left on for the sake of personal experience authenticity if anyone asked about that detail. "Ask your mate--err, your... 'Pal'-- about making our getaway a most... hasty one, ey?"

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Docking Bay | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Striker N7
[Show/Hide]Turning her red helmet around, she saw how Mariner opened fire - engaging whatever crawled in the darkness. What it was became quite clear, since two deft shots dumped the remains of arachnid-like creatures from the darkness above their heads. Not only did they seem insectoid and sinister, but rife with acidic fluids too. Sera hated being right, and it was too late to advise the Andorian to keep SuD Lang void of both atmo pressure and air. Now, they were up against the hungry inhabitants of whatever the 'Lightborn' left behind, and their place in the Coreless Moon's food chain was yet to be determined. Mariner said 'run' and it was too far back across the outer mining area. The only way to run was beyond the sealed door, which Hi'Jak was getting open for them.

"Now would be very convenient!" said Sera to Hi'Jak, raising her phaser to fire against the gleaming figures in the darkenss, which was cast into garish light by their weapons fire. There were more of them, climbing over their fallen, and acid sizzled below their clicking feet. "Burn you, I mean right now, Hi'Jak!"

The sound of the reinforced door opening was one of pure bliss, and Sera tapped Mariner's shoulder before she backed through the doorway, her phaser coughing directed energy into the chitin masses. They had somewhere to run now, but even better... they had a means to shut the creatures out. As soon as Mariner was through, Sera had her free hand at her temple again, accessing the comm channel. "Close it, close it, close it! We don't care for the company following us!"

The doorway made it easier, since even if they could crawl through all four sides of that opening, they were forced to meet the phaser fire they lay unto them. Sera found it difficult to aim properly through the visor of her helment, but it was a narrow area to shoot at, and soon enough, Hi'Jak got the door sealed again. At which point, she rounded on Mariner.

"For the record, he is not my mate," she said before releasing a string of fire-related curses in Câroon, her suppressed fear speaking more than any indignation towards what she had happened to do with the scientist a couple of times. "If he was, and I was fire-dancing with him all nights long, it wouldn't be any business of yours. Nice shooting though, seems like there is more to you than a quick wit and an easy smile." Then, she opened a channel to Hi'Jak again.

"Sera to zh'Wann and Hi'Jak, we are both in the relative safety of the back area now, and as I look around... we have plenty of dilithium crystals here, but no means to leave this area the ashen way we came. Could we get an alternative route, please?"

Saying this, she waited for a reply. Her rapid breathing was loud in her own ears as she looked around for something to gather up crystals with. Their options were limited, but at least no spiders had found themselves into this new area... which admittedly wasn't that positive if they were placing any hopes into a second way out, because Sera figured that SuD Lang's fauna would likely have found any second means to access the area already...

---

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | En-Route to the Docking Bay ] Attn: @Kaligos
[Show/Hide]Listening to Hi'Jak, she realised he was telling her his life's story to make a point, but she was grateful he kept his mind on the situation at hand. He even handled the needs of the Câroon and Ensign Mariner while she spoke, opening up the dilithium storage area for them. Ida kept her eyes along the sights of her rifle as she walked, and did not allow the urgency of Sera's voice over the comm channel get to her. She could not afford to be distracted if she were to stay alive and get the away team back to the Theurgy.

Something was becoming quite clear, judging by the sounds in the maintenance tunnels running along their corridors and from the fate of Sera and Mariner, and that was that it was time to abort the mission, so when Hi'Jak made his point about her using his name instead, she was overdue to make the call. Before she could give the order, however, Sera spoke anew.

[Sera to zh'Wann and Hi'Jak, we are in the back area now, and as I look around... we have plenty of dilithium crystals here, but no means to leave this area the ashen way we came. Could we get an alternative route, please?]

Ida glanced towards the halfbreed that followed in her wake. "Tell her to bring as much crystals as they can carry, and to make it back to the Sabine as quickly as they can. If there is a second way for them, send it to Mariner's PADD, and tell them to rendevouz with us in the Docking Bay. The message is sent, and if we're fortunate, we'll get some dilithium as well, but we are not equipped for this kind of situation. I'll speak with Bremmer and tell them to fall back as well."

Yet while Hi'Jak tried to plot a second route for Sera and Mariner, Ida felt compelled to address the halfbreed's concerns. She remembered Starbase 84, and the cloaked figure they had encountered in the EOC Tower. The Romulan who revealed just how late they had been.

Ida kept her nerves in check despite the sounds coming from beyond the walls, and said her final piece in regard to the Junior Lieutenant's lofty opinion about his own importance and how she had hurt feelings. "Whatever you think you might have done, you should remember what Ian Hawthorne had already been doing long before we came to Starbase 84," she said quietly, putting one foot before the other, eyes never wavering from the path ahead. "The galactic war began when the parasites put Starfleet weapons in the hands of Donatra's fleet. The Praetor will come for the Federation, and only we know the truth of it all. Thanks to you, High Chansellor Martok now knows as well, and we can mitigate the cost of this pending war... by dealing with the true enemy first. If we don't, they will stand the victor."

Glancing over her shoulder for a moment, Ida made her point clear. "In fact, you have just saved us all, Hi'Jak, so get over it, will you?"

Turning back, she keyed up the channel to Bremmer, Lance and McMillan. "This is Lieutenant zh'Wann, fal-"

The impact of the spider cast her off her feet. It had come from a vent in the side of the corridor, and she could feel it's talons and mandibles try to pierce her armour. She fought, fear-incised ire pushing her back to her feet and jamming the muzzle of her rifle into the hard body of the creature. She fired two bursts of phaser bolts into it, spraying acid over her own suit, but she would have to worry about that later. She got her rifle to her shoulder in time to blast apart the second one emerging from the same vent, and then the third. She cast her visor about to Hi'Jak and saw the grate of a second vent burst open, and a fourth spider going for the Junior Lieutenant.

"Behind you!" she called, fearing she was too late.

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Command Center: 1) @Kaligos  2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) @Striker N7 2) Auctor Lucan
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @CanadianVet 2) @Triage 3) @Doc M.

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | Outside SuD Lang control room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Jack was listening to Sera's voice as she asked them for an alternate route, his eyes scanning the path they had taken which was now over flowing with bugs. The problem was the bugs they had apparently survived when this place was open to the container of space, which meant they either did not need to breath or more likely could allow themselves to freeze through hibernation which would explain why there had been no life signs on this station and why it was now overflowing with movement. They had probably survived near the stations ancient core, and had been brought aboard accidentally, bugs like these could easily hitch a ride on an old bird of prey considering the klingon fleet never washed the damn things.

"Hold tight love, working on a solution for you." He couldn't really take them out the way they had come in, but klingon architecture being what it was he couldn't see another way out of the room save for... oh... "Sera how is your EV suites? When I restored power to the plant I only did so on the mission important areas. There is a floor directly above you with no oxygen, and just as cold as the space these things are running from. If you set your Phasers to a high setting, you should have no problem cutting the wall, i'm not reading any movement from that area so it should be clear."

Should was the optimum word.

His work was hardly done as he still had to map out the area for Mariner working on that he focused a little on the conversation between him and Ida. "And don't think I don't feel like a fool for that. My captain was a traitor, and not even a very good one. I mean he encrypted his messages with a captain's signature, who does that? If it were me I would have just rerouted the signal through someone elses con, matched security clearance to whom ever i was framing it on, and then just wired the network to send it out at a random time from a random level. Or better yet do what I actually did, make my reports so long and boring with hidden key words that no one actually wanted to read and then just label them letters to my sister, but I digress."

"I worked alongside Hawthorne, was in the same room as him probably more times than I could count, and I completely failed to see him for what he was. So how can you have faith in anyone at this point? I mean literally anyone could be this true enemy. How are you so sure that Martok isn't infected? I mean all of our power political and otherwise rests with our council and our emperor. You bet I would be shoving a parasite in his gut the moment i had a chance."

He had been so focused on the path out for Sera that he had ignored his personal body for a moment, the shout from Ida coming a few seconds too late for him to get out of the way as he turned something hit him, his hand went instinctively to the ancient gun as he was faced with a creature comprised of razor teeth, and acid, he could already see some of it's drool dripping down onto his helmat the acid burning away some of the protective glass as he managed to lift the gun upwards shoving his own hand into the creatures maw to prevent it form biting down onto his head.

The pain was immediate and his right hand burned, still the gun was now inside the creature, and all he had to do was pull the trigger. As he did the ancient disruptor worked, the charge of the plasma from the gun worked with a loud hum as the old weapon came to life, it's ancient power cell had been stored in below freezing temperatures retaining it's power, however the same void that had stored it's power had also broken it in ways Jack couldn't have noticed.

The ice had caused the containment unit to warp and expand causing micro fractures along the barrel, Jack only noticed it when the green bale fire started sparking and spewing inside the creature. "Son of a~"

The explosion ripped through the creature, washing it in green fire, but the plasma did not stop at the one creature that it was meant for falling down onto the man under it, his arm and right side of his body awash with plasma and fire, the glass of the suit already damaged from the creatures acid offered little resistance as the plasma burned  away.

It only took a touch across Jack's face for him to scream in agony. The green plasma ignited inside his suit as the temperature cooled the electric state into a green flame that burned him. Scrambling he pulled off his helmet throwing it away from him as hard as he could, but the touch of the fire persisted and as he tried to intake air into his lungs he could feel the fumes burn the back of his throat denying him his screams.

The saving grace was that the weapon was ancient, and Jack's body was more dense than a humans.  as he flailed and burned the fire subsided before it could kill him, but all he could see was a deep liquid green, and nothing. The flash had burned his retina, and the fire had destroyed the right side of his body, leaving Jack coughing, and blind, but for some ungodly reason still alive.

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | SuD Lang Dilithium Cargo Bay | The Coreless Moon ] [Show/Hide]Attn: @Auctor Lucan


Whatever these creatures were, they didn't lack for hunger or for innovative hunting. Once Jimmy saw these buggers could spit acid back at him, that upped the ante. The projectile advent was turning this engagement into a form of fire fight, and he drew inspiration from a story written by Federation News Service reporter titled, "nor battle to the strong." the son of a documentarian, Jimmy learned from his father if nothing else, how to get the perfect shot for the audience-- he took that literally. Though satisfied with the scores of spiders his scythe of a phaser carbine had mowed down, he had an idea.

"Computer. Reduce HUD transparency to 15%, but apply a 33% brightness factor in a thermal and EM filter." Mariner calmly ordered into his helmet. "Find me a Hole."

Mariner prepared to swap phaser batteries as he charged a directed-area pulsewave that was costly in battery power depending on the phaser setting, but after this shot, Mariner was going to swap ammunition in favor of guaranteed suppressive automatic fire-- this time, to kill. Jimmy hoped he'd save one with the queen of the nest if there was one.

The Phaser carbine's foregrip hummed to life as the gun prepared Mariner's settings. The clawspiders were scattered, unfocused, only enraged and angered as their ranks were decimated by his 'sniper' fire. Over the course of his 'tactical repositioning' he averaged a kill every few seconds, ensuring each pulse punished the ranks of the enemy behind-- Jimmy aimed for their opening maws when possible.

This might've been a better opportunity for his prior holonovel reference; The Sud Lang Clawspiders were soon to be put on the endandgered species list. Or so he hoped, either way, he was going to nuke a few of them once he had a shot during his fallback and determined there would be no significant structural damage or high risk of dilithium detonation.

Mariner hustled as he followed Sera through the refinery, taking out some stragglers attempting to outrun and surround the away team duo. The pulses Jimmy fired into the ceiling earlier were also flares, prompting his idea to buy some time with as minimal risk of an accidental detonation of refined dilithium, whether by his application or the residual acid from the creatures' carcasses. Crikey, that stuff stank! But the smell didn't last as the doors that had previously cornered the duo opened. Uninimously in agreement with the Need to get in and get clear of their competition, Jimmy took aim and fired a fully charged pulsewave blast.

Dozens of clawspiders protruded from crevaces in the plating and from rocky tunnels, some were smaller than others, while others had a nasty, imposing wingspan of claw-tipped talons. Some argued among eacohtoer or let the smaller buggers fight eachother over the wounded bodies of larger spiders. Those on the ceiling where two 'scouts' had appeared were in for a surprise when a wide, high-velocity phaser bolt arced into their point of origin, detonating a moment later, sending a shockwave of debris and incinerated spider carcasses out behind them, the stones and plating crushing untold numbers of spiders; the result causing a makeshift barricade just as the doors slammed shut behind Sera and Jimmy, who'd reloaded phaser energy clips. That door closed with a satisfying sound of slamming steel. The Phaser was set and at once, Jimmy pulled up his tricorder to get a better readout of their new battlefield. He confirmed that they happened upon the mother lode of refined Dilithium. "Shiney." he admitted into his readings as Sera communicated with Jak before regarding him. He found the Câroon's accent (particularly when cursing) ticklish as he noticed her eyes showcasing a range of her emotions.

"Don't worry, Fiery. If I'd wanted to blast a total cave in, you'd know before I were to have saved your arse before getting mine out." Mariner remarked as he picked off some misfortunate survivors who made it through the doors. One almost got away, but Mariner shot this scout as it retreated then double-tapped it as Sera clarified her... association with the team's resident Klingon.

"For the record, he is not my mate, If he was, and I was fire-dancing with him all nights long, it wouldn't be any business of yours. Nice shooting though, seems like there is more to you than a quick wit and an easy smile."

Mariner listened with interest about Sera's status or involvement with the resident Klingon-- he had no reason to be jealous of Lt Jak, except maybe a vertical difference in inches; probably all under that scalp anyway'. It wasn't prudent to ask more about what fire-dancing was, even if it wasn't as intimidating as the title sounded. Jimmy weld-sealed the doors shut with a phaser beam from his rifle. Next, the mischievous Australian spared two dots for eyes and a corresponding decorative smile in a basic depiction of an archaic 'smiley face' to match the emblem of the Klingon Empire already emblazoned on the doors. The symbol was called the Tiq Goq if Mariner recalled Torlek's holonovel correctly. Now whoever saw this chamber in a few hundred years would happen upon his own contributions to its history, a human symbol for, 'have a nice day'. Jimmy beamed at his own handiwork, which took just under four seconds, as if he were handwriting it before holstering his rifle on his back in favor of his Padd.

"That's for you, then, Sera." Mariner smirked, affording a moment to lock eyes with her favicon, which also transmitted his somewhere on her monitor alongside his vitals. "On my world, some men carve initials at certain landmarks for women; some for flattery, others romance-- usually just initials or symbols. Under the circumstances, that's just my 'sorry about asking about your business' gesture."  and, the gesture had another intention: hoping she wasn't telepathic, he briefly wondered something that prompted The Australian got back to business, but after he cast a look at Sera when he had the opportunity to ponder who of the two was a better dancer when that thought came back up.

Before this mission was out, Mariner swore he'd cause an even more random act of graffiti somewhere important-looking. It was around now where Mariner wished he'd learned Klingon dialects from General Torlek's holoprogram, it was probably the Australian's only knowldege of Klingon culture, and he spoke more Klingoni far more than he could read any of it without the universal translator-- the one language he was fluent in.

"Any chance we could beam this stuff over to the shuttle? We can summarily beam ourselves out of here and rally up with the others." Mariner went about the refinery's surroundings once he was certain there were no spiders past the 'smiling barricade' he'd helped set up, looking for any crate, container or means of transporting all this refined dilithium. He reconsidered his previous idea about absconding with enough excess dilithium to stockpile and barter with other species later on their adventures. It was logical, given that resources would be stretched thin on a renegade ship and any alien species could take a down payment in these valuable crystals that made Warp possible for most spacefaring races. He awaited a reply as he found some containers and wasted no time loading the cubes with as much care afforded to the crystals. "Before I run out of moves... and batteries. And time."

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | En-Route to the Docking Bay ] Attn: @Kaligos
[Show/Hide]Even though she saw what happened to Junior Lieutenant Hi'Jak, it didn't let Ida fully take in how badly he was hurt, at least not when there were more of SuD Lang's creatures coming for the man after the first one perished. Some of the acid splatter from when it exploded hit Ida too, since she was advancing towards the incoming cluster of spiders - charging against her and Hi'Jak from whence they came. With her teeth bared, she fired into the mass of talons and mandibles, cutting them down in droves.

"Hi'Jak, on your feet!" she called, yet a glance told her that the junior officer had likely passed out from his injuries. He had torn off his helmet, and his face was a mess. She wasn't sure he was alive, and she couldn't tell how much of his arm remained. Since he wore an unarmored, standard EVA suit, there had been little to no protection against the kind of discharge that the disruptor had made. What was certain was that whatever the plasma discharge hadn't done to him, the acid from the ruptured spider had done the rest. She could spare him no more than a glance, since the mass was making progress down the corridor. She swore under her breath, and even if it would deplete her energy cell more quickly, she changed to wide dispersal beams, and laid waste to the corridor and spiders both. "Shelat shax!"

The walls and ceiling crumbled, sparks flying and the plasma conduits blowing out behind the Klingon plating. The walls of phaser energy she sent into the writhing face of the swarm also undermined the structure beneath its collective legs. It took a few seconds until another plasma conduit was ruptured, and the entire flooring gave away in front of Ida. The detonation made Ida stumble, but it didn't stop her from firing again, and again... until the energy cell was depleted, and there were no movements in the chasm to the lower level.

Her hard breath was only overridden by the hiss of acid on her suit. Focus, Ida. You're still standing... If there were any surviving bugs left, she hoped they had some sense of self-preservation and had scuttled off. Look away. Check the suit. Focus. You were an Imperial Guardsman, now pull yourself together. With a grimace, she yanked out her energy cell and tossed it, reloading her rifle with a fresh one. Yet as she did, she found that the acid had not only gotten to the energy cell, but bathed her whole utility belt. Even worse, she felt the plating of her suit give away, and how the acid was getting inside. "Zztann..."

Before she could see to Hi'Jak, she had to see to herself first, otherwise she wouldn't be of any help. "Ida to all teams," she said as she began to strip off her suit, but realised that there were no HUD messages on her visor. "This is Ida, all teams, report!"

Still no answer.

She tore off her helmet, saw through the tresses of her white hair that the acid had eaten away at her comm unit, and swore as she tossed the helmet away. The unfiltered air was foul to her, made worse by the burning corridor behind her. Deftly, efficiently, she stripped away her useless suit, wearing only Starfleet issue underwear and a black tank top. Some areas of her body stung, affected by the acid, but her suit had saved her. Lastly, she picked up her pulse phase pistol, test-fired it against the wall, and found that despite it's condition, it was still functioning. She only had the energy cell inside it left.

"Junior Lieutenant, are you still with me?" she said, crouching down next to him with her eyes still on her surroundings, her pistol at the ready. She had no combat tricorder to read his life signs, but checked his pulse with her fingertips instead. "I need you to tell me where the transporters are..."

Her eyes caught his PADD, and decided that if he couldn't tell her, she would have to try and find the area herself.

---

OOC: Another one coming up with Sera! :)

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Dilithium Refinery Area | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Striker N7
[Show/Hide]While Hi'Jak had worked on an alternative route, Sera had folded her arms below her plated chest and raised an eyebrow at Mariner's antiques - a smile creasing her eyes as she looked at the face he had drawn on the door that separated them from the deadly cluster of spiders.

"Apology accepted," she had said and chuckled, continuing to look for suitable containers. Mariner had found some when Hi'Jak's reply was heard.

"Sera, how is your EV suites? When I restored power to the plant I only did so on the mission important areas. There is a floor directly above you with no oxygen, and just as cold as the space these things are running from. If you set your phasers to a high setting, you should have no problem cutting through, i'm not reading any movement from that area so it should be clear."

Sera looked up and started to think about how they were supposed to get the containers back to the Sabine. If there wasn't any gravity up there either, it could work, just tugging the containers with them as they used the thrusters on their suits. Mariner offered an alternative, suggesting transporters, but after she checked the possibilites in her uplink to the Sabine, Sera shook her head. "We only have one transporter pad on the Sabine, and no operator aboard to lock on to us. My suit is, however, linked to that transporter, so I can make a swift retreat myself with a voice command - quite handy when deep down in a dig site and having lost your way - but if I could beam things out of this area, burn you, don't you think I would have done so the first time I was here?"

She looked at Mariner with a rueful smile. "The way I see it, we have no real options. I suppose we have to blast our way through to the depressurised level above on your own, trying to get away from whatever transporter inhibitor is set up in this area, and once we get far enough away from here with the containers, I can beam out. On the Sabine, I then lock on to the the containers, and then you, along with the rest of the team."

Saying this, she changed the setting on her phaser and raised her eyebrow at Mariner. "So, do you want to have the honours of getting us-"

[This is Lieutenant zh'Wann, fa-] It was the voice of the Andorian, and what followed was commotion and static, the sounds of phasers firing. Screaming. Then, the transmission ended. The sound made the rueful expression that touched Sera's eyes die out, and she swore in Câroon.

"Sera to zh'Wann, come in," she said, without answer from the Andorian. "Sera to Hi'Jak! Are you there? What happened?" When no answer came from her lover, Sera felt her face go numb, and she swallowed. Had she just heard Hi'Jak screaming for his life before the channel was cut off? Hi'Jak was the only one she truly knew from before she got aboard the Theurgy, and she hadn't even known him that well. First Melissa Wright. Now Hi'Jak. Blast you, you can't die too. Fire and ashes...

Looking at Mariner, it was plain that their situation remained the same, the mission yet to be completed, but they might just have lost the Andorian mission leader and the only Klingon that knew the base. Sera didn't know if it changed any priorities. "Should we... contact the others? See if they are alive?"

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Corridors: 1) @Kaligos  2) Auctor Lucan
 - Dilitium Storage & Mining Ops: 1) @Striker N7 2) Auctor Lucan
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @CanadianVet 2) @Triage 3) @Doc M.

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | Outside SuD Lang control room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Jack's breathing was steady, and for a moment he lingured in that uncomfortable silence between life, shock, and death. The darkness around him consumed everything with a green tinge. In his current state he knew very little of the outside world, his mind was slowly compensating and he felt tired, so tired. Klingon basic training had been forever ago, the academy's of the klingon and the Federation had prepped him for battle, but he had forgotten the taste.

He hated the taste of war. He was unconcious in that dark place for too long, the bridge before him the path told him things. Whispered that it would be okay if he just closed his eyes, gave up, it was too much pain to keep moving on. Then there was another voice.

"Hi'Jak, on your feet!"

He groaned, he didn't want to get up. there was a sting all around his chest, and his body hurt, the woman who's voice spoke to him at least got his name right, but getting up?

Time was folding inwards and outwards, Jack felt a gentle touch on his neck, which again linked him back to the pain the world of the living, and slowly his eye opened, the world was dim, painful to look at, his one remaining eye had to do the work of two, and it was burned heavily from the flash of light, leaving everything dim, and tainted green. His vision flickered like the flame, and was an unreliable haze of doubles and wetness. It took a moment before he could physically respond to the world. A hand reaching up and out, grasping for something that would help him keep his balance and finding the edges of the hall.


It took effort to roll himself over, his muscles creaked and screamed. You can not move! it wanted nothing of this, and sent physical waves of displeasure at his every moment of existence. Which reaffirmed one thing, there was far too much pain for him to be dead.

Finally he opened his mouth, a coughing physical sputter came out as he lifted himself up, his knees giving just as much resistance as his torso and arm. He could survey the damage done to his body from the green fire and bugs acid.

The stinging in his chest was the bugs acid burning away at what remained of his hazmat suit, he had to toss off the standard unprotective layer, but he would need help to do so, because his other arm was in no condition to help with that task. His hand wasn't gone, but some fingers most certainly were. The one he had used to pull the trigger had been incinerated, and the middle finger arguably his favorite had been twisted and broken, the the apendage it's self felt no pain, and was more a twisted black husk with the occasional bloody crack burns the like of which he honestly had never seen had welded his hand to the gun's handle unable to let go or even move the appendage.

When he tried to speak he was met with an interesting problem, his throat had been touched by the plasma's fumes. not long enough to seal his windpipe but it seemed his command over speech was gone. With no heads up display or throat he was left unable to communicate. He looked to Ida now in her underwear, and gestured towards his coat where the spiders burns were. he pulled at the holes of his own suit and attempted to pull at it to get it off.

Then he reached out and grabbed his pad, checking it over as he started to stand. He cradled the device with his broken twisted arm, the nerve damage far to great for him to actually feel for the loss of the appendage which made life easier to work with, for once there wasn't a part of his body screaming in agony. With his other hand he started to scan the map. before he pushed it towards the center of the two doubles of Ida, which was about three to six inches past Ida's left.

He gestured to his throat with a closed fist, and opened it to signify the explosion as he looked at her. He was alive, standing, and capable of assisting, but it seemed everything else was gone from him. Still he gestured through the map, and showed her two rooms. One marked Qutluch the other marked Jolpat.

~~~
[Show/Hide]

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | En-Route to the Docking Bay ] Attn: @Kaligos
[Show/Hide]Ida saw Hi'Jak moving, and when he reached up, Ida grasped his hand and helped him roll over. At least he was alive, which had to be attributed to his Klingon blood.

When he got to his knees, Ida clenched her jaw and looked away from the burning end of the corridor, looking instead at the scientist as he tried to speak, coughing and sputtering nonsense. That he was still alive was quite impressive. She could take the same stock of his injures that he did. The EVA suit was in tatters, laying sizzling flesh bare, with his chest area being worst for wear. The hand which still held the handle of the disruptor, fused to bone and flesh, would have to be replaced,  and half his face was a charred mess - whatever remained in the darkness of the eye-socket never to see again. Despite how he tried, his throat was too damaged to speak with, but he wanted to be rid of the acid-coated suit he wore.

"Breathe deeply, you need the oxygen to stay up and focused. Do you hear me?" Ida murmured to him, not letting the sight of his injuries getting to her. Only in the past five months, protecting the Theurgy from boarding parties, she had seen enough to last her a lifetime. She had not expected him to stay conscious, thinking that he would succumb to shock, but apparently, the Klingon blood was indeed strong in him. She decided to not give up in him, and she would do what she could to help him, getting started with the EVA suit while he reached for the PADD. There was, however, no way that she could tear the suit's dense fabric off his body with her bare hands, it would have to be cut off, but her parsteel blade was just as useless as the rest of her suit.

She did have her phaser, but that meant she couldn't defend them if more bugs came. She loathed the prospect, but she just couldn't let the scientist get more injured by the acid that ate away at his suit. She had to make a split decision, and she took it, remembering Wenn Cinn's teachings. The big Ridgenose had showed it several times. For in the filed, an away team might find it necessary to perform emergency surgery, and the situation called for something to cut with. Cursing under her breath, giving the corridor a final glance, she set to work.

She could almost hear Wenn Cinn's voice as she put her phaser on the floor and set to work. "Two components of the phaser must be modified in order to use it safely and efficiently as a scalpel: The beam control assembly and the prefire capacitor. First, remove the protective casing from the phaser, Ida." She almost didn't get it open because of its condition, but once it parted, she set her blue fingers to the beam control assembly master circuit and gave it a more tightly condensed beam, which would converge to apex at a distance of approximately 5 centimeters from the emitter crystal. Wenn Cinn spoke in her mind again.

"Next, access the safety interlock circuit of the prefire capacitor, which is located immediately behind the housing of the prefire chamber. Increase the capacitance value to maximum. This will help reduce the beam intensity to well below normal specification." Ida knew it would be essential to preserving tight beam control and stability, but also reduce the feedback from the emitter crystal. Using a continuous beam would be safe, and to preserve the energy cell, she set the phaser to its lowest beam intensity, foregoing the standard pulse, and chose the most narrow beam width. Done, she quickly assembled the phaser again, her blue eyes returning to the corridor. No movements...

Hi'Jak pushed the PADD towards her when she was done, and she tried to make out what he tried to tell her. Her Klingonese was rusty at best, but she knew the two words well enough. "Well done. Now, hold still, and keep breathing..."

She did not care to be attacked by the bugs with just a scalpel in her hand, so she got to work on the ruined suit. Tearing the fabric from the parts of the suit that the disruptor had fused to his flesh would tear of parts of him too, so she the walked the knife's edge of being quick about it, and yet being careful enough to just remove the parts touched by acid. She got some of it on her thigh, making her hiss and scrape it off with a clean piece of the suit, but eventually, after having done some thinking on their situation, Hi'Jak's upper body and parts of his thighs were bared. As quickly as she could, she began to restore her pulse phaser to its original setup, taking it apart anew.

"Listen. Arachnids don't have ears," he whispered to him, catching his remaining eye and making sure he could still hear her despite the susurrous anlage of the burning corridor. "Instead of eardrums, these kinds of creatures can use the sensitive hairs on their legs to detect noises, airborne vibrations. Since we wore suits, they couldn't have smelled us from such a distance. In other words... try not to make any noise, and just keep breathing. Let's go."

Finished with her phaser, to her great relief, she got back on her feet and led the way, holding the PADD with its map in her free hand and making sure he could keep up with her. If he straggled too much, she supposed she would have to give him a shoulder to lean on. Regardless, she had no plans to die that day, and if she could, she would get the scientist out too. The fears she held, unprotected and exposed as she was to the creatures, she kept on a short leash. She refused to give in to fright, and focused - antennae angled forth as she moved.

[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | SS Sabine NX-59846 | SuD Lang Outpost ] attn: @Doc M.   @Triage

On one hand, retreating into the ruins, and past those massive doors, seemed like a bad idea to Petty Officer Bremmer.  But putting those between the team and those hungry spiders was one she could get behind.  And, given that both Goldeneye and the Warrant were making their way in there, it seemed Eliska's choice had been made for her and she started to back towards the opening, her rifle up at her shoulder, pointed towards the spiders, ready to fire. 

And, the critters started moving.  But before she could fire, one of the beams from the statues locked upon it, and turned off almost immediately after, leaving little more than a sooty stain on the stone.  And then it happened again, and again, and again, the beams coming from the statues looking much like the effect of an old-fashioned disco-ball.  If a disco-ball's effect was to generate x-ray band lasers of incredible powers that were shearing through the mass of spiders like plasma cutters through warm butter.  And even if the statues were keeping up with the flood of spiders, Eliska was glad when the stone doors boomed shut in front of her. 

Only then did she turn around to face the space they found themselves in, and she lowered her rifle as she spoke the three most eloquent words that came through her mind.  "What. The.  Fuck."  However, they were not spoken in fear or anger, but her heavily accented voice was laden with a heavy sense of wonder and awe.  For, deep under the surface of the moon, was an entire city carved from what had once been living rock.  A city that looked like nothing she'd ever seen before.  And it was wonderful.  No, beyond wonderful.  It was... She didn't know what it was.  But it certainly was awe-inspiring. 

And then, the commlink from the Deputy crackled.  The transmission was faint to begin with, but when it was cut short.  And that was hardly good news.  And it meant their time down there, at this low-priority objective, had to be short. 

"Hey, Warrant, sounds like there's trouble out there, so we need to get a move on and expedite down here.  We got people who need help, and there's no way we're getting out the way we came in, so we better find an alternate route, and fast."

But just as the Security Petty Officer said as much, a light came on, high above them.  At first, there was nothing to be see there but a bright, diffuse beam of light, but there was something within it.  There was a form, a humanoid.  And instinctively Eliska's rifle snapped up towards it and she took aim, even before she registered the readings of her suit's sensors revealing that it was some form of photonic projection.  And, if Bremmer would say so, a rather appealing one.  She was tiny, maybe a hundred and fifty centimeters tall, a redhead, and delightfully slim.  And what she wore, a silky, wispy little thing that was clearly translucent and left very little of her curves to imagination, but while the parts the whipped away from her were see-through, her inborn light obscured the more... interesting details. 

"Ma'am!  Warrant!  We got something happening here!"

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | En-Route to SuD Lang Transporter Room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Jack could barely see the world around him, with only one eye, and the vision burns he had suffered everything was doubled over or blurry. So he couldn't really follow the movements of Ida with the phaser, and when she started to work on him he just did as he was told, closing his remaining eye, and breathing trying his best to mitigate the soreness and pain he felt. He could only do so much for himself however and he still felt himself swaying as he stood.

As she worked on them she mentioned that the creatures used a sort of tremor sense, and that he shouldn't make any noise. He nodded, as that fit basically with the appraisal of the creatures he had seen so far. It would be hard to deal with them if they came as a swarm, and the lack of a space suit meant there was no real way out of this place for them except ancient transporters. For now he just had to hope that they worked better than the ancient weapons.

Jack nodded in agreement. Ida was the one with the weapons, and the capacity to use them, in this instance he to rely on her to keep them alive. He on the other hand was the map, and navigation, it would be up to him to operate the antiquated technology on the station. If either wanted to survive this than they were going to need to work together regardless.

The pain kept Jack from running. He took back the pad and cradled it with his bad arm ignoring the fact that just touching the corrupted and burnt flesh caused some of it to flake off, the smell of burnt flesh was impossible to avoid. Checking the stations motion sensors they didn't really have a lot of time to recover, and he started to walk away from the fire.

His good arm held around Ida's shoulder helping him to move slightly faster. He was with a limp at the moment, and he couldn't shake it, his breath was ragged with exhaustion, and then he started to see them, first as a red blip on the map on his pad, his blurred vision making it difficult to actually count the blips on his screen as it swayed, but hearing it as well. He looked to Ida, the spiders were back, their rest was short, and they needed to get moving.

[ Heather McMillan (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Heather_McMillan) | Entrance to the Lightborn Ruins | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @CanadianVet & @Doc M.
[Show/Hide]Casting a weak grin at Bremmer when the woman threw an awed expletive after entering the massive doors closed shut with a thunderous sound, McMillan staggered ahead, kneeling on the softy ground to pick up some odd looking eggs. A quick scan with her tricorder indicated a rodent-like lifeform that was unlike the arachnoids that were attacking them out there. Her guess was that these little critters were what the spiders usually ate. What was even more interesting was that these eggs still held life, it had been dormant until the sudden restoration of atmosphere and a breathable air supply that the eggs began to slowly come out of dormancy. She placed the eggs in a storage compartment attached to her right hip.

It seemed like Lance had a point regarding the design of the buildings and the place. Aside from signs of advanced technology, the entire place looked like a scene taken right out of the books of the ancient historical author, Tolkien. It was a mixture of technology with nature, which, contrary to popular opinion, seemed to blend well enough together. Closer inspection of the nearest hometrees showed doors and windows that blended with the colour and design of the tree's bark and leaves. Naturally occuring patterns and petrified flowers only added to the beauty of the trees, despite the fact that they were long dead, by a few centuries at the least, based on her tricorder's scans. The young Radiant kept her hand as aloft as often as she could, because she couldn't shake the sensation that they were being watched, and just in case there were security statues like the working one outside.

The sound of the statue's eye-beams blasting the spiders could be heard like a muffled thunder of sonorous tune and the doors reverberated with each blast. Despite centuries of inactivity or power, McMillan's presence had triggered some sort of reactivation, and the light emanating from her hand was not done triggering things. The beautiful engravings on the floor and the walls flowed with light starting from beneath wherever the girl stood, marking her as the source of the reactivation of the entire city. Gazing towards the starport, McMillan could see a colossal derelict starship that looked almost curved and rounded like a turtle's shell, but a proper look revealed a more angular design with tense edges, and a diamond-shape that flared on one side, where the impulse engines were probably located.

It was a warship.

Were the Radiant actually aggressive people? How was it that she came from such peaceful pacifist folk that taught one another about peace and non-violence? In fact, their pacifism was literally hardwired in McMillan to a point that it was part of her DNA. So she believed, but what she was seeing now was making her question her origins, because she was certain that this was her people. A closer inspection was needed, and as she took a few steps her communicator came alive with a crackle that made the little Radiant jump in fright. Then her fear deepened when she heard Ida's voice disappearing. When Bremmer spoke, she nodded, “We should get to her as soon as-AH!” Bremmer's rifle whipping up to point at something above her prompted McMillan to all but drop to the ground, and cower on her knees like a trembling lump of jell-o. “Is it the spiders?!?”

But all the woman would say was that something was happening. That probably meant Bremmer had no idea what it was. That was a relief and brought a different kind of dread to her.

Reluctantly rising, McMillan tilted her head and her jaw hit the floor. Descending upon them was another Radiant (https://i.imgur.com/ejcUDn0.jpg), clad in beautiful silken material that covered the body but also allowed her light to shine unhindered. It was likely that Bremmer and Lance wouldn't be able to withstand the brightness of the woman's body, but McMillan could see right through to the soul of a light. Still, something seemed off about it. There was only a few occasions on Earth where the Radiant would reveal their true selves, and for all their brightness, it was nothing quite like this, and neither could any of the Radiant on Earth float or hover the way this one was doing. When she was three feet off the ground, she remained in place. Arms and head moving with slow, deliberate grace and languor, she studied each of the people around her. She smiled serenely at McMillan, showing an expression of approval, but her beautiful face was mired briefly by a sneer at Lance and Bremmer.

When she spoke, none of the translators worked, “Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn.”

“Pardon???” was all McMillan blurted out first. “S-sorry! I mean...uhm...hi? My name is Heather McMillan,” she gestured to herself, and then gestured to Lance, “This is Tessa May Lance,” next, she gestured to Bremmer, “and this is Eliska Bremmer.”

The girl had deliberately left out titles or ranks, unsure if the Radiant before them would confuse the titles as part of their names. But she wasn't even sure if the woman could begin to comprehend. Yet, there was a chance, since Radiant had a natural affinity for languages and culture, so her Wisdoms told her once.

There was an expression of understanding dawning on the flying Radiant's face, and her displeasure began to show on her face, “Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathog.”

She gestured daintily to herself as she floated lower, “Im Shâ'Nyél.”

Closing her eyes, a tendril of white light floated between her and McMillan, and when she opened her eyes, she smirked and said, “I now speak your filthy language, Adhartim. You,” she pointed at McMillan, “why do you hold yourself beneath these two? Are they not your slaves? You hide your light like you want to be one of the lightless. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“I-I-I'm sorry!” said McMillan, “B-but I thought we never hold ourselves as above the gods!”

“By the Light of the Maker,” said Shâ'Nyél, “I am on the last vestiges of my power supply, and the first Bright Soul is a Lost One!” The Radiant threw her hands up in the air in the first act of hasty action. Giving McMillan such a withering glare, that the Radiant whimpered and shivered, Shâ'Nyél shook her head and began to ascend again, “I have no choice. You will have to do. Follow me.”

Taking a few steps forward reluctantly, McMillan heard a faint whine and she turned to see a wall of light made of the same level of strength and intensity as the beams used by the statue outside to destroy the spiders. “Lance, Bremmer! Stay there! Don't touch the light!” she warned frantically.

“Only the Alata comes with me, you two must leave,” said Shâ'Nyél, flying towards the commercial sector in the west.

McMillan wanted to leap through the light, knowing she would be unharmed, and go with Bremmer and Lance, but this was her only chance to find out more about her people, and understand some of the things the strange Radiant had said to her. Finally, she said to them through the light, “Lieutenant, Bremmer, go back, give Ida a hand. I'll rejoin you guys soon. I won't be long, I promise! This could be important, and more than we realized.”

She turned, paying little heed to their replies, she began to run after the flying Radiant, wishing she could fly too. Behind Bremmer and Lance, the walls began to break and crumble, and a hole appeared, from which a spider began to poke through with its legs, whilst the wall of light slowly moved, expanding and pushing the two back towards the doors, which opened, the statue seemed to intensify its firing rate, helping to clear a path for them.

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | Entrance to the Lightborn Ruins | The Coreless Moon ]   Atten:  @CanadianVet, @Triage 

“H-hey!  Wait a minute!” Tessa protested. “H-how do you know you can trust her?  That gal is a species supremacist!  From the distant past so her culture is completely outdated and probably extinct!” she added as the two glowing women glided away.  “For all you know she comes from a historical period like my planet’s Nazi Germany or something!” she shouted as she remained rooted to the spot.  “She probably needs you to release some kind of doomsday device!” she called out just before the two Radiants were lost from sight.  “You who!  McMillian!” she bawled before she lowered her voice in defeat.  “I’m afraid if we follow them we’ll get zapped,” the pilot admitted to Bremmer.  “Do you think it’s safe to go back?” she asked the petty officer as she glanced back at the statue that had so recently dispatched the arachnid-like creatures.

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | SuD Lang Dilithium Cargo Bay | The Coreless Moon ] [Show/Hide]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Kaligos

Mariner received a faint signal off his incoming messages icon on his display and found a secure corner to receive it and access its HUD while having a clear display, dusting off any residue off it with the cloth reserved for polishing his blade, which he found a moment to summarily inspect and keep within quickdraw reach. This wasn't the time to show off his familiarity with it, lest it get a predictable sexist remark or joke about dismemberment in response to his bravado. Jimmy unslung his rifle from its magnetic binds on his armor's back and readied it for beam fire.

... Rather, he was about to when he spotted movement. For some reason he noticed a box move. Either Dilithium knew how to move, or there was something worth investigating.

"Oh..., F" Mariner uttered something that most certainly wasn't 'For!... goodness' sake.'

Grrr...? GRrrRAAAhhrr... RRRR-- RAagraaarCK!!

He'd opened a crate and was lucky the spider inside was in hibernation and took a second to realize it had an uninvited guest. The incident was resolved when Jimmy jabbed his readily-accessible knife into its forehead before it could sputter any acid; Jimmy summarily kept his distance as he killed the creature, not willing to risk jamming his phaser rifle or his exo suit. By the time Sera had noticed what happened, the creature was already dead.

Under his helmet, Jimmy frowned at the loss of contact with his CO, Resolve veteran Bremmer and that delicate lava-lamp girl Heather. The latter was a good kid and of all the people out here didn't deserve to die gored and eaten by godless insects. Buggers claimed Space-only-knew-how-many good people in one week alone.

At least Jimmy had a found a good container to match the cargo bandolier-harness he'd discovered In a wall locker that the Australian opened with a test of his phaser beam and the use of his blade, partially to sanitize the thing after that stinging encounter. Jimmy hoped he'd find a Klingon officer's private cache and impress Meony with a sash, a sword (a yan he hoped)or one of those assemblable Klingon disruptor pistols, but this harness would have to do. It made carrying cargo on his back that much easier. As the comms went on, Mariner listened in, bitterly waiting to reply out of concern for his colleagues. Entirely worried, the most Jimmy could do was load up his container full of dilithium without overloading himself. He'd made sure to secure the cargo container before attaching the canister to his back and sealed the precious cargo within. He'd take at least an initial cargo run with him in the event they wouldn't get any more.


"Mariner to all teams, be advised:  before someone wakes up the Balrog, we're gonna find the way outta these caves before this adventure plays out like book one."

Despite the pending danger they were all in (and the possibility of a disastrous explosion), Mariner was relieved most of the other members of the away team had been familiar with Tolkien lore. Not long ago, the Resolve crew would occasionally relive holonovels inspired by his works, with Jimmy the outdoorsman taking on the role of Faramir during holodeck sessions with Klex and others in Tactical aboard the Resolve. The Denobulan was fond of Gimli, and expeimented with growing a full beard to 'grow into' the role. It was an ongoing gag at The ex-constable's expense. Mariner added, before sending.:

... If you read me. We're going to attempt to blast our way to the shuttlecraft. We're taking all the Dilithium we can carry... and maybe some we can't. Once we get to the ship, we're going on search and rescue, designate Shuttle Sabine as Exfil-One for anyone who needs a beam-out or backup. Once we're done with out primary objective, we'll get you all out of there. All of you.  ...Hang in there, the next round's on me.

Motivated by his own words, Mariner took aim and fired at the softest spot and began phasing the area to the next room. The environment shuddered as the metal boiled and circuitry exposed the next room. It was almost beautiful to behold if not for the retinal damage from staring at the bright orange light for too long, so Jimmy polarized his viewscreen and restored it when he'd completed the bulk of the cut, unsatisfied with the round cut falling out of place right away. It needed some more punch.

"Just don't leave me hanging. The footage I've got footage of these critters that would make one helluva video postcard to my dad." Jimmy had mentioned his father's documentarian proffession once or twice, but adding sentiment to discourage Sera from leaving him behind. Jimmy was making progress in carving a geometric pattern, using up most of his phaser battery clip.  This time his calling card of choice while on the job was a circle with two matching dots and... another smile-shaped arch. Jimmy added a stereotypical forehead ridge in the uppermost sixth of his cutting, causing a soft spot in his intended target. Jimmy's indicator warned him that he had only 20% remaining. "Good. Another shot for a boomer. Heads up, Sera: Here comes another one!"

The satisfying sound of a charged up phaser pulsewave was heard as Jimmy aimed for the 'nose' of the intricate cut he made in his bid to get to the next room at the double time. Despite his antics, it was clear he knew what he was doing, and his execution didn't exactly spend too much extra time, nothing that coup de grace of a final shot didn't make up for. Mariner wasted no time in replacing his battery with a fresh one. He set his rifle to his favored semi-automatic compressed 'sniper' mode, scoping out the vicinity past his newest contribution to the station's interior design.

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Dilithium Refinery Area | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Striker N7
[Show/Hide]Hi'Jak wasn't responding, and couldn't advise them any further than he had. The away team's leader might be gone too. No, Sera refused to think Hi'Jak was gone. She couldn't presume the worst had happened. She had seen the Starfleet scientist fight off security guards in the Jefferies tubes of Starbase 84, and that Andorian had looked like she had weathered a few sand storms as well. All that was certain was that the comm line to the two was dead, not that they were.

While she worried about Hi'Jak, Mariner had put his mind to the mission and found a harness which they could use to carry a container full of refined crystals. He had began to cut the ceiling open with his rifle too, after dealing with what she presumed to be another spider in one of the containers. Hi'Jak had said the level above them was depressurised and without gravity, and soon, the atmo in the refinery area would be vented through the hole that Mariner cut. Sera took a deep breath and focused, because there was nothing she could do for the scientist and the Andorian anyway. She shifted her grip on her hand phaser and put her feet wide, ready for the jolt of having the area depressurised.

"I'm ready," she said into her helmet, and no more had the words left her mouth before Mariner cut the ceiling open, and the refinery area turned weightless by the shift. The gravity pools were still active in the lower area, but the dead space above sucked the both of them through the ceiling. Sera tried to compensate for the disorienting shift, to try and anticipate the impact against the ceiling of the level above, but nothing came, leaving both her and Mariner tumbling in zero gravity. Before she got her bearings, Sera thought they had vacated SuD Lang entirely, but as she looked around, she saw that they had ended up in some kind of... atrium. She knew she had never been there before, at least.

"I think we should go this way," she said, turning her red helmet towards Mariner where he floated in the big, open area. It looked like the harness and the container had remained on his back when they'd gone through the ceiling, and now, they had to make their way back to the docking bay somehow. Like Mariner had said on the comm, they needed to start beaming the team back, before they were all killed by SuD Lang's fauna.

She activated the thruster on her back and began to make her way towards the front area of the atrium, where she hoped they could find a path to the docking bay. Hold on, Hi'Jak. I'll get you back on the Sabine...

---

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | En-Route to the SuD Lang Transporters | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Kaligos
[Show/Hide]When Hi'Jak showed himself able and willing to take the PADD, Ida gave it to him, hoping he'd be able to relay the directions somehow. With the kind of limp he got, he had to use her shoulder for support, and she gave it - thus able to see the map on the PADD as well as he could. With her phaser at the ready in her other hand, she hoped that...

The red dots on the map appeared.

"Shelat shax," she muttered for the second time and looked around, got her bearings in the corridor and saw how the bugs were following them. They must have found some new maintenance grate in order to pass the area she had blasted. She pushed on, increasing the pace, since there was no purpose to being silent any more. If Hi'Jak was hurt by the pace she set, she couldn't give it much consideration, since it was either some pain or getting eaten by the cluster on their heels. She couldn't give a damn about his preferences about his name either, rather wanting him pissed so that he might move faster. "Come on! Move it, Ridgehead!"

The first time she heard the clatter of talons against the plating, and spun around with the Klingon half-breed on her shoulder, there hadn't been any bugs there, only the echo reaching them. Yet the second time she looked back, she saw movements, and she swore bitterly as she aimed backwards and fired off two bolts against the first pursuers. Shuffling forward with Hi'Jak leaning so heavily on her didn't do her aim any favours, but she couldn't stop to make a stand, not when more and more of the dots appeared on the PADD in Hi'Jak's mutilated grip. The two bolts hit nothing, but cast the pursuers into light.

By Lor'Vela, I will not die in this filthy place, she swore, still moving forward with Hi'Jak, and managed to hit one of the spiders with her next volley, hoping Hi'Jak was looking towards the path ahead when she had to keep an eye on the corridor behind them. Thankfully, there were no bugs appearing ahead of them yet...

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - Corridors, En-Route to Transporters: 1) @Kaligos (Reaching the Transporter Area) 2) Auctor Lucan
 - Leaving the Dilitium Refinery Area: 1) @Striker N7 (Reaching the Docking Bay) 2) Auctor Lucan
 - Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @CanadianVet 2) @Triage 3) @Doc M.

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | En-Route to SuD Lang Transporter Room] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
In the war of the mind, pissed off was always better than afraid. Jack could recognize that and even appreciate the effort the blue bitch was putting into keeping him alive. While the pace was uncomfortable, his twisted and burnt arm wrapped around the blue skinned woman's shoulder as he kept moving, his breath made ragged by the pain in his throat,  making it impossible to speak or scream, though in the current situation he wouldn't have much more to say than what Ida was already saying for him. He didn't know what a shelat was, but he could immediately comprehend that their situation was a heaping pile of Shax.

With only one arm his focus had to be on the map, directing them as she ran backwards and he held her for both support and the ability to turn her down the many twisting hallways on their way. Part of him wanted to drop by the weapons bay, if one gun had caused an explosion like that, he was sure he could have rigged a hell of an explosion, also he kind of wanted to keep that gun, it was pretty.

He would ask if he could have a newer model replicated for him later.

He pressed down the buttons on his padd working as fast as one hand, and half his vision would allow, which was a lot slower than his usual typing speed that was for sure. Still he heard the door crack open, and with strength he had he basically pushed Ida into the room with him directing her with his bad arm.

[ SuD Lang Transporter Room ]

He slammed the door shut and pointed to Ida to watch it, as he went to the ancient Klingon machinery. This base was built a hundred and fifty years ago, his incident with the gun had pretty much taught him that while it was the height of the empire not everything had survived the long sleep, and the transporters were just as dangerous as a faulty blaster.

He wanted to make sure that when they arrived on the other side they were intact, and not some amalgamation of flesh and personage too horrific and moist to gaze upon.

Jack applied some percussive maintenance to the ancient Klingon machinery bringing it back to life as he went through a diagnostic of the controls, all the while feeling tired, so drained, his legs shook as he stood, and his remaining eye wanted to close and sleep, his breath was ragged, and everything was pain. He wanted to sleep. But not here, sleep could come on the Sabine, once everyone was safe.

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | SuD Lang Dilithium Cargo Bay | The Coreless Moon ] [Show/Hide]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Kaligos

Reactively, Jimmy clung to his rifle and timed his jump to negotiate the laws of physics, crouching and pistoning his feet to somersault. If he hadn't sealed his container, the crystals would've scattered like rock salt from a thrown container in a bar fight; a most effective method in such a situation. He considered holding Sera's hand during the apparent freefall, but could only realistically focus on keeping himself stable.

"Some people hate Zero-G combat training." Jimmy managed to grin after letting out an enthusiastic 'whoop!'once he made his way to the opening with every intention of landing on his feet and magnetizing, prepared to use his microthrusters to cushion the inevitable impact. "Can't imagine why." After that comment, he stayed shut and set his suit to follow hers via thrusters and rely on her instincts-- as well as his own to get to safety.

Of course, he spent most time in zero or low- G holodeck simulations for... non combat physical training, but wouldn't dare brag about that now; Jimmy just let his familiarity with inertia speak for itself. When he had the right moment, he used his HUD to slave his thrusters to the onboard Computer on Sera's suit while he focused on finding the Sabine's signal, to give him a compass-waypoint in the form of a Starfleet logo pointing at where they needed to go. He sent the waypoint to Sera without saying another word and instead, keeping his eyes and hands trained on his phaser in case these buggers knew how to control themselves without gravity. He relied more on his now-upgraded night vision rather than give off a telltale flashlight.

Magnetized as their feet found an imposing door leading to the hangar bay, Jimmy followed Sera after she'd opened up the doors, saving him a phaser battery clip in the process, making it easier for him to focus on a narrow perimeter around them as they arrived at long last to their destination. It was a shame to let all that dilithium go to waste, but fortunately both dilithium, containers and many items not welded or nailed down followed them into the atrium and were still floating around there for a potential beam in or return trip. He'd volunteer for that provided he'd get life insurance in the form of a transporter beam. One thing at a time, old buddy.

"Hel-lo, Beautiful." Mariner exclaimed fondly as he saw the Sabine Everything looked fine about her on first inspection: No spiders, no visitors, and it had been sealed off to (at first glance) keep away any arachnid trespassers."C'mon, let's get our mates-- our friends I mean-- and summarily get the fuck outta here." Jimmy ran over, not one to waste valuable moments, but only ran after advising against taking their time to get to their only means of rescue and escape.

[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | SS Sabine NX-59846 | SuD Lang Outpost ] attn: @Doc M.  @Triage @Striker N7 @Auctor Lucan @Kaligos

That impossible wall of laser beams that had first covered the door reappeared, and when its expansion forced both humans out, Bremmer's mind was racing.  She knew that thing could and would cook her on contact if the did so much as brush it.  And still in her ears the Warrant's directives were ringing.  Find Lieutenant zh'Wann and assist as best they could.  And somehow, they'd have to find her again later.  And if the rumours were true, that she was the XO's squeeze and the man was even half the hard-ass he seemed to be, it would really suck to be Petty Officer Eliska Bremmer if they lost the little scientist. 

But, before long, they were with their backs to the heavy stone doors and its forcefield, and facing the enormous spiders... which were getting shredded by the statue that flanked the opening.  And, of course, there was Goldeneye's question.  Was it safe to go back?  "Ma'am, no two ways about it, right now looks like jsme docela v prdeli¹ one way or another.  That hologram was saying it's on its last legs, so if we're going to make it to the Deputy before she gets eaten, we'll have to push through.

As she spoke, Bremmer checked her rifle one more time.  Those spiders were pretty spindly, and if her on-board sensors were right about them, fragile enough.  Level 6 ought to be plenty to blast her way through, and a rate of fire of at most 600 shots per minute would be sufficient if she floored the trigger... not that she intended to fire anything but aimed single shots if she had anything to say about it.  "So, I'm going to ask you really nicely to gun up, and set to level 6.  Looks like that thing's clearing us a lane, so we should be good to go until the end of the passage.  After that... well keep your head on a swivel, and watch our six while I clear the front.  Ready?"

Bremmer took a deep breath as she shouldered her rifle, and she opened a general channel to the entire away party.  "This is Bremmer.  McMillan is stuck in some ruins behind a forcefield we can't get through, one with independent power supply, no less so anyone has a bright idea to recover her, now would be a good time.  I'm with Lieutenant Lance, and we're going to try and cut our way to the Deputy and Mister Hi'Jak.  If anyone can give us some guidance, I'll take it.  Bremmer, out."

In her suit, she took a deep breath and flexed her hands around her rifle.  This was now or never.  "Here goes nothing.  Ell-Tee, we're going to have to really haul ass, and if we get bogged down, it's going to really suck for us.  So try and... focus on your footing, all right."

And, with that said, Eliska went from a dead stop to a pace that was just short of a run, a steady jog that allowed her to fire her rifle whenever one of the spiders slipped through the statue's apparent defensive fire.  The run to rejoin their team had started.

And something tickled her mind.  Maybe, once they survived this, they'd call it the SuD Lang Mile...

---

1- We're pretty fucked

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | Entrance to the Lightborn Ruins | The Coreless Moon ]   Atten:  @CanadianVet 

“On your six, Petty Officer,” Tessa nodded, although it would be difficult for Bremmer would be able to tell since the opaque visor of her Tactical CONN Exosuit obscured the pilot’s face.  The Security Exosuit that Eliska was wearing was similar; with her helmet on, there could have been anybody under that helmet.  “Ooh-ooh!  Watch out there!”  Tessa called out as she used her pulse phaser to shoot a spider thing that had detached itself from the wall to jump and Bremmer.  The darn thing had been just a flat smudge a moment before, it had been practically invisible.  “No wait, I got it.”

As Tessa followed Eliska out of the ‘Lightborn Ruins’ and back into the ‘Klingon Ruins,’ she couldn’t help noticing the similarities between their two suits.  Both suits were a far cry from the standard Starfleet EV suits that had been in service for over a decade.  Both suits had synthetic muscle technology with servomechanisms for strength and a spinal stabilizer to prevent injury.  The back of Tessa’s suit had two low-energy thrusters with a ten minute capacity, with thrusters in the magnetized hard-shell boots to assist in steering.  The PM-1 locator beacon on the helmet was fitted with a xenon strobe, generating 9,600 lumens for sake of visibility during rescue operations.  But Eliska’s suit had additional features, being equipped with a life support system that would last double the time that Tessa’s would and had utility compartments that held weapons, supplies, and equipment that the pilot’s suit just didn’t have. 

“Holy… smoke,” Tessa moaned weakly as they turned a corner and let their lights reveal the way before them.  The way seemed to be filled with crusty serving tray sized nodules that were lifting themselves off the surfaces of the Klingon ruins to reveal themselves as arachnid style life forms.  In a moment they could swarm the two women, and wide angle stun would have no effect on these creatures.

If only Tessa was in her Valkerie!  Granted the fighter’s thrusters were gravitic, and didn’t belch fire like they did in the days of yore, but still maybe she’d be able to…

Wait a second?  Thrusters?  In this low gravity environment they meant a lot, they could probably produce actual flight!  Neither Tessa nor Eliska were wearing standard Starfleet EV suits; both of their exosuits were equipped with thrusters that they could conceivably maneuver with past the spider creatures and not touch the walls, floor, or ceiling.

Wow!  Score one for the pilot!

“Hey Petty Officer,” Tessa tapped Bremmer on the shoulder as she placed her pulse phaser back into the holster that was magnetically attached to her hip.  “Our suits have micro thrusters, and in this low gravity we might be able to just float past those critters without having to…EEK!” 

One of those spider things had jump through the thin but dusty atmosphere to land on Tessa’s back.  It had remained perfectly flat and let the two women walk right past it before it unfolded itself from the deck and made its move.

With a panicked scream, Tessa deactivated her magnetic boots and activated the thrusters on her back, sending the spider thing flying.  She shot forward like a bullet and embraced the petty officer when the two collided.  Fortunately, the servos in her exosuit allowed Tessa to keep a hold of Eliska and not lose her.  Unfortunately, colliding with Bremmer threw off her trajectory and soon the two of them were careening off the floor, walls, and ceiling of the Klingon ruins like a lopsided billiard ball, knocking spiders into the thin air as they did so.  Tessa’s scream was impressively long, despite the interruptions when they bounced off something and continued their awkward journey back to the docking bay.  Somehow Tessa managed to activate the right thrusters on either her back or boots in order to keep them going forward.  Thankfully they didn’t hit anything at an angle that would have impeded their flight or caused an injury worse than bumps and bruises.

Finally the two of them were rolling on the floor of the ruins as they separated and each tried to use their hands and their magnetic boots to find a stable surface to hold onto. 

“Well,” gasped an exhausted and weary Tessa.  “We’re safe.”  With those words she turned her light to survey the area they had passed through and saw that the walls, ceiling, and floor seemed to be covered in creepy crawlies that were heading in their way.  “AAAAAAH!”

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SuD Lang Transporter Room | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Kaligos
[Show/Hide]The last ten seconds before they reached the Transporter Room, Ida didn't have to aim any more in order to hit the cluster on their heels. She could just fire anywhere and hit one of them. The rattling sound of their talons against the Klingon plating had become deafening, and Ida felt entirely too exposed, lamenting the loss of her exosuit. It didn't help hearing the warning chirp from her pulse phase pistol that her energy cell was about to be depleted too.

Yet Hi'Jak guided their final steps through the sliding doors, and despite the condition he was in, he managed to get the doors closed behind them. Two spiders made it inside, but having caught herself on the edge of a duty station when the scientist pushed her through the doors, Ida bared her teeth and disposed of the two critters with two consecutive shots. One of them managed to spit in her direction...

...but by a hair, she got out of the way in time. She could feel the foul air stirring next to her head when it passed her, knowing all to well what that acid had done to the suit of hers, and what it would have done to her face if she had been a tad slower.

Winded from having to carry the halfbreed down the corridors, she pushed off towards the doors with her pistol raised before herself. "Come on, get it working. This is my last energy clip, and it will only last for a couple of more shots."

Saying this, she had briefly looked in Hi'Jak's direction, and that's when she saw where the spit had landed.

"Zztann..." she hissed, because the green acid goo was eating through a part of the ancient tech directly adjacent to the transporter pads. With her chest heaving, beaded with perspiration and mouth tasting bitter from the foul air, Ida let out a brief cry of furious anger, striking her fist into the bulkhead. The sound was inferior to the clatter of claws outside the sealed door, and when the small window was shattered by a long, hook-like talon, the sound of the spiders became deafening in the room.

Ida refused to let into fear, however, shot the first one that tried to claw its way inside, and yanked off a maintenance panel from a duty station. With it in hand, she had to fire twice more before she could ram the panel into place over the window. She kept it in place by leaning against it, holding the spiders out. Those that managed to ram their claws past the panel cut her bare shoulder. Made a gash across her temple. Still, through the tears of pain, she held on. "Do something!"

Yet somehow, Ida knew that they had lost. It was only a matter of time before she couldn't hold them out any more. She might have enough energy left for two final shots... but she refused to see that kind of mercy as anything but defeat.

Another claw ripped her side open, she screamed... and lost her grip on the panel.

---

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | SuD Lang Docking Bay | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Striker N7
[Show/Hide]As soon as they reached the Docking Bay, Sera throttled up her back thruster in order to reach the Sabine as quickly as possible. There was comm chatter from the female security guard on the away team, and while Sera heard it, she didn't make any acknowledgement. They had emerged at the upper level of the bay area, so she had demagnetised her boots again and kicked off as soon as she could, doing whatever she could to reach the Sabine. Her thruster was larger than Mariner's, so she would get there faster than he could.

Hold on, Hi'Jak, just a few seconds more... She could hear her own heart beating in her ears, but when her feet touched the ruined plating of the lower level, she magnetised her boots and went for the airlock at full sprint - or at least as quickly as the lacking gravity allowed for. This was when she activated her comm channel. "This is Sera, I'm beaming back everyone I can get a flaming lock on within the minute! Just stay alive, burn you!"

She realised that getting the airlock open would take too much time, so with fifty meters to go, she slapped her gloved hand on her suit's beam-back switch again, and evidently, they had cleared the transporter inhibitors at that point, because she de-materialised mid-sprint towards the Sabine....

[ SS Sabine | SuD Lang Docking Bay | The Coreless Moon ]

...and ended up inside her ship, stumbling off the Sabine's single transporter pad the next moment. Breathing heavily and covered in sweat, she depressurised her helmet and tore it off as she seated herself by the work station.

"Come on... Come on..." she muttered while she initiated a scan for the transponders of the away team, but she could only find three. Mariner's, Bremmer's and Lance's. She began to scan for life-signs instead, which was not ideal, but she just might be able to get a lock. She realised that she was making Bremmer and Lance wait on their extraction, but she reasoned Hi'Jak and the Andorian had been in more grave danger. "Fire and ashes, where are you, Hi'Jak? Where have you gone off to?"

There! She found two humanoid life-signs, on the very far side of the outpost, and she seeing the them meant they were still alive. Relief was brief, as she saw all the spiders in the area, and knew she had to to calibrate the scanners to get a good enough lock on them. Unfortunately, it was not enough. She needed something to get...

"That's the transporter room," she realised, and with golden eyes wide, she began to try and reach the transponder in that room to boost the signal. Only there was no response, as if the transporter systems had gone offline even if SuD Lang had been powered up. "Burn me, there has to be something..." All she could do was to cue the transporter beam-out for activation as soon as the transponder in that room went online. There was nothing more she could do from her side, but she reckoned that if the two were there, alive, they were likely trying to get that system online from their side. As soon as they succeeded, the beam-out would be automated, Hi'Jak going first, and then the Andorian.

"Come on, Hi'Jak..." she said, before she had to move on and get a lock on Bremmer and Lance, knowing Mariner would step inside through the airlock any second.

But where was the Radiant? There was no sign of her on her scans...

---

OOC: Current Posting Order follows:
 - SuD Lang Transporter Room: 1) @Kaligos (Activating the broken transponder, getting beamed out) 2) @Auctor Lucan
 - SuD Lang Docking Bay: 1) @Striker N7 (Entering the Sabine, helping Hi'Jak to one of the bunks?) 2) @Auctor Lucan
 - Outside the Ruins of the Lightborn: 1) @CanadianVet 2) @Doc M. (Final heroics before getting beamed out) 3) @Triage (Final post in current thread)

[ Lt. JG Hi'Jak | SuD Lang Transporter Room ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
[Show/Hide]
Jack was so close the controls were in his hand, and then he watched as the transporter sputtered and died, he was about to curse when he heard the cacophony of what was going on around him, and seeing what had broken the transporter. He ran forward his one eye bloody, and tired, as he looked over raw circutry and acid, it was too much, too broken, in his current state he couldn't tell if the acid had eaten through a power conduit or some other piece of ancient tech.

It was like looking at ancient eldritch magic, they simply did not make transporters like this anymore, and he was not an engineer, the most practical experience he ever had fixing things was when he had had rigged a door to power up with.. an energy cell.

He glanced at the pistol. Ida was holding it. He went for it. His one good arm outstretched, he took the weapon.

Working with one arm was slow, and he needed to be fast, he had to work as quickly as he could pulling out the cartridge, it was almost dry, but he didn't need it to power the transporter, he just needed something to carry the charge and complete the circuit. The conduit just needed a patch.

He was quickly reminded however that he had no protective clothing, and that he was dealing with a powerful live wire, as he reconnected the conduit there was a loud crack of energy, sparks flew, and jack could feel more of his body burn as Ida let out a scream as something scratched her. It all spurred Jack on to work faster, once Ida gave out he would have no defense from the ancient horrific creatures that seemed to want their death and meaty bits.

Jack vision was blurry but not blind blind, the shock and sparks having hit him him and furthered the damage to his face, but he could recognize the sound of connections being made, the transporter pad was humming, he could see the blue female form of the other alien. He reached out for the many visions of Ida, grabbing her, pulled her away, not knowing how badly she'd been hurt. Still with his one arm he hefted her shoulder over his own and dragged her to the one functioning transporter pad.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, half using her as a shield half hugging desperately to another being that didn't want to eat him. As the two fell onto the transporter pad in one location.

[ SS Sabine | SuD Lang Docking Bay | Coreless Moon ]

Jack's body hit the ground on the Sabine, still clutching Ida, as the two had been transported together and yet somehow through all the ancient filters remained separate, his body exhausted, his vision too blurred to see anything, but judging by the sounds, safe. His breathing was still painful, his arm was still numb, his eye was gone, but he was alive.

A slow laugh escaped the half Klingon. His burned throat making it sound like rasping and coughing as he looked around too blind to see if he had saved Ida completely but knowing that everything hurt. He could just see another moving figure. He was pretty sure it was Sera, he could see the faintly familiar suit of his lover. He raised up a hand to give a thumbs up, before his arm collapsed and Jack fell into the blackness of a much needed sleep.

[ ENS James "Jimmy" Mariner | SuD Lang Dilithium Cargo Bay | The Coreless Moon ] [Show/Hide]
Once inside of the shuttle, Jimmy made a seemingly-unnecessary but precautionary sweep of the shuttle to rule out any unwanted stowaways of the arachnid kind with every intention of firing on maximum stun. No need in punching a hole in the hull-- that's what his comebacks were for. Fortunately, there was nothing in the craft's head. "Bad way to go" Mariner joked... "For the spider." Jimmy referred to Eliska's misfortune in combat rations before he locked the craft down from any intruder.

Finally able to take off his helmet and breath some tangible air,  Mariner could finally wipe the perspiration off his brow and get rid of that annoying itch he'd wanted to scratch for the last several minutes but couldn't through his visor. All that hardware and they still haven't figured out a solution for diver's itch.

Mariner's own well being came secondary as he craned over Sera's controls, visibly nervous about the status of the rest of the team. "C'mon. Heather. Eliska. Leftenant. Anybody... please." he caught himself muttering, if not praying silently to himself. Suddenly, behind him, Jimmy heard the unmistakable sound of a transporter beam and he trained his rifle on the new arrival as a precaution, but he lowered it at once when he spotted Ida's white mane of Andorian hair and the only other male on their away team tumble into the shuttle. Before he could ask if the two needed a room, Jimmy just gasped then exclaimed at the sight of Jack and rushed to the side of the science officer, who looked like he'd been beaten with the mother of all ugly-sticks. Suddenly any jealousy over the fire-happy humanoid with the incendiary eyes evaporated as Mariner found the medkit and got to work assessing their injuries momentarily to ensure moving Hi'Jak to the nearby bed was an option; fortunately for Jack, it was. "Let's go, Sir. Alley-oop!" Jimmy helped the LtJg up, gritting his teeth, and characteristically making some humerous banther as he helped the Klingon.

"Crikey, Leftenant, you look like the Klingons I've seen on old holonovels." Jimmy didn't refer to the smooth-brow Klingons of the 23rd century. He idly chuckled, running a scan. "Hang in there, Sir. You got any kids? No? C'mon, Mate, let's make sure you live long enough have some. Lord knows he hates to see his good work go to waste!" appealing to Jack's human side, Jimmy applied basic first aid in the form of a painkiller hypospray, and had basic use of a dermal regenerator the way he helped Marquez moments after they escaped Starbase 84. Sensing Sera would be more interested in tending to her... friend, He whistled in the direction of the pilot, "Oi Sera?" I think this is yours."

Next, Jimmy attempted combat triage on his own fellow security officer, keeping his eyes where they belonged, knowing firsthand how Andorian women were when it came to unnecessary attention to their anatomy, like the time Tarsi nearly lost one of her Antennae at the Battle of Betazed and caught Jimmy staring at the dangling appendage's inner workings, only to find his shen friend pointing a medical tool somewhere where it would've hurt him quite dearly if she were to push a button (He only wanted to see the inside of an antennae, wondering if it was hollow). Lt zh'Wann looked like she'd seen better days. "You allright, Ma'am?" (Pronounced, 'M'um') He asked, attempting basic medical attention. "I got us enough dilly crystals to last, but there's still enough of the stuff down out there to give Capt. Ives a king's ransom if we were to barter the bloody stuff-- compliments of the ridgeheads. We can beam the dilly to our cargo hold if we had to." Jimmy suggested, believing he'd finished his minstrations, before returning to the more urgent matter at hand. "Where's the rest of the team? You can beam me over to bring 'em home--" Jimmy insisted, worried about his longtime crewmate, the fragile and delicate humanoid with lightbending abilities and that pilot who joined them. Despite being higher in rank, Jimmy found Lt Lance to be cute, but they were all equally his responsibility by Starfleet Security's own mission statement; never mind that Jimmy was known for defying orders if it meant saving lives.

[ PO2 Eliska Bremmer | SS Sabine NX-59846 | SuD Lang Outpost ] attn: @Doc M.   @Triage @Striker N7 @Auctor Lucan  @Kaligos

This derelict post's life support and gravity system were iffy, at best.  Eliska had known it ever since she'd done her rough interpretation of Sabine's scans.  Which meant the atmosphere that had been there before they had entered the ruins had grown thin, to the point of being unable to support humanoid life.  There was still heat, so that was a start, but gravity was getting fitful, and as they were running it had gone back down to the less than the tenth G they'd first encountered when they initially landed.  However, it would seem the thinning O2 concentrations and drop in pressure weren't much of a hurdle for the spiders.  In fact, it appeared to make them even more aggressive. 

And, not for the first time since she was told she was on that mission, Eliska Bremmer was certain she was going to die this day even as their run was taking them steadily closer to hangar bay, though not nearly fast enough...

When Goldeneye spoke, saying something about their suit thrusters.  Was that woman insane?  In these confined sp... That was one thought she was unable to finish as the pilot's mass slammed into her back at high velocity, and she found herself thankful for the heavier armour her own exosuit carried, especially as they started careening down the corridors, striking walls, floors, the ceiling along the way until the burn ended and they both skidded across a wider room, and Eliska herself, thanks to the joys of microgravity, only managed to steady herself once she became wedged where a wall met the ceiling and it was with a groan she pushed herself back to the deck, shaking off the dizziness from the ride, and the bumps from the many impacts. 

On the bright side, they had cleared the passages that were the largest threat.  But her suit's motion sensors were blaring alarms at the movement around her.  It was almost a wave coming down from two different directions... and she knew what it was.  And so did the pilot as she let out another scream.  Well, there went their chances, again.

"Sabine, Deputy, Mariner, anyone! This is Bremmer. We're bogged down.  If anyone can cut us a way out, or beam us out of here that'd be great!"  She took a  deep breath and shouldered her rifle once more.  It had been clipped to her suit, and through divine intervention it had survived the number of impacts along the way.  And now, it would be the one thing keeping them alive...

"Ell-Tee, I'm not going to bullshit, unless we're getting help we might be good and fucked."  That was hardly a proper way to address an officer, but in such a case, decorum could go right out the nearest airlock.  This was about survival.  "Now, pick a hallway, and keep shooting.  Deliberate fire or short, controlled bursts.  Dial back the power, and conserve your packs, all right?" 

And then, she started firing into the mass of spiders coming their way.  At first, it was slow and measured, but the tempo quickly picked up.  In the thin but dust-choked atmosphere, her rifle was nearly silent, the shriek of phaserfire in atmosphere a near-whisper.  But the dust gave each blast a lurid, hellish glow instead of the eye-searing brightness of a shot in full vacuum.  But it was like trying to stem an ocean tide with an eyedropper, for they kept on coming, stumbling over then devouring their own fallen along the way in a horrific, cannibalistic wave.  And every now and again, Eliska would simply shout "Loading!" as she would swap a spent power cell out of her rifle for a fresh one, but the incoming spiders were unstoppable, and before long she was screaming her rage and helplessness even as she kept on firing over, and over, and over again. 

She was an expert shot with any of Starfleet's issued small arms.  But against such numbers?  There was only so much she could do and when she dropped her rifle at the end of its sling across her chest, the last power well an inert chunk of sarium krellide and drew her pistol to resume what she'd been doing, she managed to do more than simply scream wordlessly.  "Anyone!  If you're there, now would be a good time!" 

One spider leaped in the microgravity and its mandibles fastened on her gun arm, trying to crunch through her suit.  But not for long as she drove a servo-amplified fist through a cluster of eyes, the creature dropping instantly, twitching as it died.  "Come on!  Get us the fuck out of here!  Please!"  There were tears in her voice, adding to the stress, rage and terror that were powering her voice.  "I don't want to die here!  Please!  Anyone?"

And, then, she went silent as she focused on trying to keep pushing back, not adding her parsteel blade, fist and feet to the fire of her pistol as she fought like a demon to keep the spiders from eating her.  She wouldn't last much longer, she knew it.  And with that came a certain serenity.  She didn't want to die, and while 'eaten by giant space spiders' hardly made for a glorious epitaph, it would be a suitably glorious last stand... 

And her hopes of being saved were decreasing with every passing frenetic heartbeat...

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | SuD Lang Ruins | The Coreless Moon ]   Atten:  @CanadianVet  @Triage @Striker N7 @Auctor Lucan  @Kaligos  

Tessa had to admit that the situation looked grim, but at least she was with a trained member of the security.  Scuttlebutt had it that Bremmer was a refugee from the Resolve, a survivor of a three and a half year voyage to the outer darks of the galaxy and a veteran of the damned, the strange, and the damn strange.  She had probably faced this situation dozens of times, and would know exactly what to do…

"Ell-Tee, I'm not going to bullshit, unless we're getting help we might be good and fucked." 

Or this could be her first time facing a horde of lobster sized space spiders that didn’t seem to have any source of food but two terrified women.  “Uh…” Tessa moaned weakly.

"Now, pick a hallway, and keep shooting.  Deliberate fire or short, controlled bursts.  Dial back the power, and conserve your packs, all right?" 

“Right.  Got it,” Tessa chirped as she set her pulse phaser on wide angle stun.  Conserve her power?  What was Bremmer talking about?  Even a hand phaser designed a hundred years ago could protect a narrow corridor and kill hundreds of men.  The weapons Starfleet used today could probably kill every spider in the complex what did she mean by…

Stun setting wasn’t stopping them!  They just vibrated angrily and kept right on coming once the beam was off them.  Holy smoke!  Tessa switched to a kill setting and started madly shooting.  Even the kill setting was just knocking the off the walls but wasn’t hurting them.  She had to set the weapon at a level where it would shatter rocks before she could kill any of them.   No wonder Bremmer was concerned about the amount of ammo—

"Loading!" Bremmer announced as she changed a power cell.  Tessa took out her type one hand phaser to fire down the petty officer’s hall before she resumed firing her pistol-shaped pulse phaser.  The leg of her Tactical CONN exosuit had a holster that stored the concealable hand phaser and two power cells, but Tessa had added the attachable holster for the pulse phaser as preparation for away team duty, and boy was it paying off.  Tessa made weird grunting noises as she shot down two corridors at once before Eliska was able to fire again. 

“G-golly,” Tessa stammered.  It seemed like every arachnid on the planet was converging here.  W-what c-could be taking them so long?”  With the hand she was holding the type one hand phaser in, she tapped the combadge on her suit.  “You who!” the pilot sang out in a sweet beckoning tone.  “Tessa to anybody!   We need to beam out of here!  To the Sabine!  Or just the docking bay would do!”

"Anyone!” Bremmer added. “If you're there, now would be a good time!" 

“Bremmer, we can’t hold the corridor!” Tessa exclaimed when despite their best efforts, the swarm came closer.  “We can’t wait for the beam out!  We’ve got to run for it!  Run!”  With that, Tessa turned and took off down the hall, only to discover that she was alone.  Turning around she saw Bremmer struggling against the spiders that had jumped onto her body.  In moments, they would puncture the petty officer’s suit, and that could kill her whether their bites were venomous or not.

“Bremmer!” Tessa shouted before charging towards her shipmate with phasers blazing in both hands a desperate scream escaping her lips that sounded like more like a little girl squealing down a child’s slide than a warrior’s battle cry.   Tears were blurring the pilot’s vision and a quiet electronic hum was ringing in her ears…

[ Lieutenant ThanIda zh'Wann (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=ThanIda_zh%27Wann) | SS Sabine | SuD Lang Docking Bay | The Coreless Moon ] Attn: @Kaligos
[Show/Hide]Disoriented, Ida couldn't quite believe what had happened. She was on the floor of the Sabine, memories returning in flashes from the Klingon transporter room. Panting, bleeding, she disentangled herself from Jack - who was in far worse condition than her - so that Mariner could do as little as he could with a medkit to make sure he didn't die. Pushing herself up so that she was sitting against the bulkhead, Ida looked away from the two males to see Sera vers Aldnoah looking between Hi'Jak, the transporter platform, and the workstation she was sitting at. It seemed like she wasn't positive it was the Sabine who had made the beam-out, and as far as Ida was concerned, she didn't care. Her hands were shaking and she bit down against the pain of her injuries.

By Lor'Vela, you are still alive, so get over yourself, she thought, but she wasn't ready to stand yet. She saw Mariner giving up on doing ought else for Hi'Jak, instead helping him towards the back of the Sabine. When prompted by Mariner, Sera followed, leaving Ida alone for a short while. Only then, she closed her eyelids, swallowed, and wiped her eyes with the back of her shaking hand - suppressing the lingering fear with the realisation that they made it out of that room. When she dropped that panel... she had been certain. On your feet, Guardsman!

When Mariner returned, she bit her teeth together, still struggling with her laboured breathing, and let him run the dermal regenerator over her sliced side, shoulder and temple. It still stung, likely because of the acidic nature of the vile creatures. She listened to him, but she could not motivate herself to answer right away - staring straight ahead and reassembling her shattered resolve. "I'm fine," she lied through her teeth, but she nodded appreciatively about the fact that they had the crystals.

Suddenly, there was static from the workstation. [Sabine, Deputy, Mariner, anyone! This is Bremmer. We're bogged down. If anyone can cut us a way out, or beam us out of here that'd be great!]

I said... on your feet! she told herself for the second time and put her knuckles against the deck plates. She was of no use to the team when on the deck. She was no child that had twisted her antenna. Slowly, she picked herself up, slapping her bloodied hand down on Mariner's shoulder, leaning heavily on him for support. Her blue blood made a hand-print on his exosuit as she stumbled towards the unmanned workstation. The next transmission came in. [Tessa to anybody! We need to beam out of here! To the Sabine! Or just the docking bay would do!]

Mariner suggested beaming to them, but Ida shook her head, curling her lip from the aches in her body when she lowered herself into the seat at the work station. "One pad, Ensign... Would take longer to get all three of you back," she grated and blinked hard, focusing on the displays before her. Another call came in.

[Anyone!] It was Bremmer. [If you're there, now would be a good time!]

"I'm working on it..." said Ida, not wasting seconds on activating the comm signal from the work station, scanning for the the missing people, but only found two transponders. "Shelat... Where is Warrant Officer McMillan? Is she dead?" There was no time. With bloodied fingers, she tried to lock on to the moving transponders. They just wouldn't be still, meaning that they were fighting for their lives.

"Burn you, what did you do?" said a voice from the back compartment, Sera chastising Hi'Jak, even if the couldn't be conscious at that point. "What did you do to your hand? Is that a disruptor grip?"

"Be silent!" snapped Ida, blinking away perspiration from her eyelashes as the cross-hairs of the transporter lock wouldn't come together, her aching hand shaking, but her fingertips slowly getting the lock on the closest transponder. It was May Lance's.

[Come on! Get us the fuck out of here! Please!] Bremmer, barely sounding like herself from the fright of the situation. Ida was painfully aware that it wasn't her transponder she was trying to get a lock on. Ida refused to let it get to her, even if Bremmer kept wailing. [I don't want to die here! Please! Anyone?]

The chirp finally came, and Ida activated the transporter immediately. The pad next to her whirred, and in a cascade of light the fully suited May Lance stumbled out of the the glass stall, as if she had been running when beamed out. Ida had time for neither comment nor glance in her direction. She immediately went for the second transponder.

Only it was no longer there.

No...

No more had the cold feeling run up her spine than a message began to flash on the screen. It was from Havenborn.

BUDDY SPIKE INBOUND, IMMEDIATE TACTICAL WITHDRAWAL RECOMMENDED

Eyes still wide from loosing Bremmer, Ida numbly keyed up the sensors, and they grew a bit wider when the tactical read-out became visible. Multiple signatures were converging on them, and they were easily recognised. It was like she was back in the first months of the Dominion War. How do they know we're there? Was Hi'Jak right? is Martok one of them?

"Klingon raiders.... Dozens of them," she breathed. "A carrier... The IKS Hakkarl."

- FIN

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OOC: @Triage posts the starter for the new, final thread of the Sabine Mission! :)