Science Encampment

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2024 @ 9:09pm by Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale & Lieutenant Commander Tourik Murphy & Lieutenant Awal Kronnelti & Lieutenant Tracey Walker Jr

Mission: Thunderdome
Location: Paarth Elion Three
Timeline: Present

on:
{Science Encampment, Paarth Elion Three}

Mira walked around, looking at all the destruction. It made no sense. They didn't even take the food. What was the Elionians (larger green species) thinking? Some of the beings were hard to even recognize what they had looked like before the attack.

Her eyes met Kevin's. "This is bad. Without the right equipment, we can't tell who is who on some of these victims."

"I agree," Kevin replied, "this isn't making sense for an Elionian attack. The science reports on the species said that they primarily used slashing claws and large caliber black powder weapons but so far, the corpses have projectile wounds smaller than we would expect and nothing that looks like a claw attack.
So far, though, none of the corpses match the photographs."

He ordered the science officers and engineer to search the buildings for evidence.

Trace and Geneva nodded and moved away to scout the surrounding buildings. Though Trace had reluctantly agreed to the Science Officer’s plan of playing the submissive, he unconsciously took the lead in scouting, entering buildings in front of her. He kept his weapon holstered, but at the ready. Geneva didn’t complain.

"This happened awhile ago to. More then likely when they stopped reporting in." Mira placed a hand on her ribs. Her symbiont was upset.

What do we do next? Kronnelti asked

"See if you can find something like an armory," Kevin suggested, "I find it hard to believe that the science team in this hostile of an environment wouldn't have some means of defending themselves.”

He nodded and went off, it took Kronnelti a solid 20 minutes to find the armory.

He came back, come check this out he told them both with a concerned look.

He opened the door and found two more inside...

“Sir I don't know what happened here, was it a surprise attack or what?”

Tourik stayed close to Mira and Kevin, still a little unsure of what his orders were. He figured that if he hadn’t been given a specific task, he should just stay put and wait for one.

Kevin looked at Mira with concern. He didn't need the Paarthian genetic modifications to sense that she was uncomfortable. He walked over to her and gave in to an urge to put his arm around her. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

Vaytoc's nose nuzzled her leg as he sent her an image of being watched.

"Alpha?" Mira spoke softly, not knowing how well the watchers could hear them. She put a leash on Vaytoc as she, slowly moving closer to Kevin. then slipped her arm around his waist as she wispered, "We have watchers over by the tree line we exited from. They must have followed our scent."

Kevin disengaged from Mira and held the binoculars in the direction that she had indicated. He couldn't see anything in the foliage but believed Vaytoc's senses. Not Paarthians, he guessed as their orange skin would be difficult to conceal.

He was about to drop the binoculars from his eyes when a tall green form stepped from the trees. Kevin tensed with the realization that it was an Elionian, then another followed and a third. Curious, he thought, they are walking out as if they didn't have a care on the planet. Their large muskets were slung casually on their backs and their hand were empty of weapons, although they each had a large club dangling from their waist. They approached the encampment without any attempt at concealment or tactical movement.

"Lockhart, Rogar," Kevin commanded the two security guards, "Cover us." Then to Mira, he said, "Come along, Pet. I will need you to translate."

He started walking towards the three Elionians. As they drew closer, the Elionians stretched their arm arms wide with the palms of their hands skyward. Kevin did not recognize the gesture but returned it in kind.

Mira cocked her head to the side. "That means peaceful welcome." she whispered to Kevin,"Put your hand over your heart, which means you accept it."

Kevin did as she instructed and the two parties continued to close to speaking distance when the lead Elionian spoke. **You are not any of the Feders. I do not know you** Kevin's sub-dermal implant translated for him.

Without his eyes leaving the Elionian, Kevin said to Mira, "Ask him who he is and why he is here."

Mira spoke in a series of sounds and hand signals. The Elionian spoke **There was a huge fight between the others. The ones here is friend to the Elionians, trade food. Two of them are hurt at our village.**

Mira spoke in a series of sounds and hand signals again because he didn't answer the questions she had asked him or it or whatever they were talking to.

Elionian looked back at Kevin. **She yours?**

Mira took a step back and behind Kevin.

The Elionian laughed. **She yours. We bring the other two back to you.** he put his hand on his chest.**Igwa,** he pointed to Kevin. **Alpha**

"Tell him we look forward to the return of our friends," Kevin told Mira in a commanding tone, "and ask him what he knows where the others who lived here are."

Stepping back out she gave the proper hand gestures and sounds that had the Elionian nodding **others** then he pointed in a direction farther out.

With that he turned to leave.

Mira frowned "Why kill the natives but take the scientists? Do they know they aren't the same? By the way Vaytoc was comfortable with them so they didn't have plans to harm us."

"As an ancestor of Ambassador Spock once said 'If you eliminate the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth'," Kevin replied, "So far we have eliminated the possibility of a mechanical breakdown and this isn't the work of the Elionians. The Paarthians must have taken the scientist and they some how knew their difference and value."

Tourik took a deep gulp. Being a scientist himself in amongst all of this seemed to be a bad idea. He hid his inward concern well, playing off on his cool Vulcan exterior.

After the Elionian's left Kronnelti walked up to Kevin and Mira, what's going on? He asked, Did they say if there are any survivors?

Kevin nodded, "Igwa, the Elionian, says that they have two of the seven scientist and are going to return to us here. The other scientists, he said, we taken in that direction," he pointed to the east, "but wasn't more specific. What did you find in the armory?"

Two bodies but I don't believe their science people. Their wounds are different he said, they look like they were hit by a musket ball said Kronnelti.

Kevin's hand moved to stroke his beard, which was no longer there. Instead he rubbed his chin. "We need to send a team to the Paarthian settlement to the east. I want you to stay here with the security and science teams. Wait for Igwa to bring back the two that they have and have the science teams try to figure out why the encampment was attacked. They have been here for five years. Why now?"

Lieutenant Walker called out from one of the larger building. "Captain? Commander? You might want to have a look at this."

Mira and Kevin exchanged questioning glances, then walked over to the building where the Chief Engineer was calling from. It was a large barn-like building. The inside was mostly empty, except for a large eight-wheeled vehicle that looked like it was designed for carrying passengers and cargo. "Does it work?" Kevin asked.

"Not right now," Trace replied, "but I think that I can get it running in a couple of hours."

That would be good, Kevin thought, it will cut down the time to get to and from the settlement if they could ride rather than walk.

Kronnelti nodded, he walked into the armory and grabbed a musket and some of the ammo including binoculars.

He posted up in the top window of the barn overlooking the encampment.

Captain should we have a challenge and answer should you return late?

Mira thought about it. "protect our people. I want everyone coming home."

If so the challenger yells thunder and I call back with lightning so I know it's you guys. He said

Mira nodded at his plan.

:off

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Commander Mira Rodale
CO
USS Chuck Norris

and

Lieutenant Tracey Walker
Chief Engineer
USS Chuck Norris

&

Lieutenant Awal Kronnelti
Chief of security and tactical
USS Chuck Norris

and

Lieutenant Commander Tourik Murphy
Chief Science Officer
USS Chuck Norris