S6: E1 - The Prime Recommendation

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[USS Challenger - Bridge]

"Aye sir." Alex utilized the Landser's own satellite to 'piggyback' a signal, though it would only have the most basic of encryptions. Still, based on their level of technology, it would take hours for them to crack it even if they were trying, by which point hopefully their onboard subspace transceivers would be repaired. "Challenger to Mckenzie. Away team, how do you copy?"

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Booker finally had a break while waiting for the next communications buoy to be readied for launch, and she brought up an idea to Galloway's attention. "Sir, we may still be able to temporarily disable the fold-space device in a manner of speaking by generating a dampening field around it with our ship's deflector. To the Landsers, it should just appear to be a malfunction in contacting their probe, common enough with new prototypes or technologies that it shouldn't raise any alarms or look like interference from us, and wouldn't leave any lasting damage."

[Bridge]

The plan worked, thank goodness.  Had those chronitons not worked, it would have probably been another frantic run of unplugging chips that she did not want to do again.  Her eyebrows raised at the mention of a bottle of the good stuff.

"œ Moving the ship starboard for you guys to get the best angle to get that probe," she reported. Once we get that taken care of, I can fly you down planetside so we can find our crew. "œ

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[Schoolroom]

[Before the blast]

[As Maddy]

"œBye, mommy and daddy!  I'll see you soon!"

Maddy was already so excited to go meet her new teacher and make some friends. That was cool enough on its own, but now that she was on a big huge spaceship,  it was even cooler!

"œClass! We have a new student, Maddison, Can you tell us something you're interested in? "

There weren't a lot of kids in the classroom Maddy's age, but from what she saw, they seemed nice enough. there looked like there were three at least that might be nice. Would they like spaceships and dinosaurs like she did?  She hoped so. She gave a little wave to all of them. "˜Hi, I'm Maddy.  I really like spaceships and dinos."

"œThat's really nice.  Why don't you sit with Zach, T'Miri, and  Yuta?

Maddy sat down at the table as the teacher started the lesson

"œYou like dinos too?" asked Zach "œThat's cool!"

"œYeah!" She'd have to tell him all about her friend Steve before he went off on an adventure.

""""""""""-

[Schoolroom - present time]

Maddy's head felt like an elephant sat on it as she woke up, frightened and confused at what happened. Her new friends were all scared too as they watched her wake up.  What happened? Why is my head hurting so much? Where's mommy?! I can't hear her!    She started to panic. Finally, after a moment, she could finally feel her mom's presence.

"œTeacher, my head really really hurts. "œMaddy said, as her head spun, and she had to sit back down .

Could I get someone to the Schoolroom? We've got some kids here that got hurt in the blast.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck 7 - Sickbay]

After completing his work in Sickbay in getting all their equipment up and running - and after seeing that Tora would be well-taken care of and soon would be returning to her own duties, Lahr called to Main Engineering (by that time comms had been made functional by someone else).  He updated the Ensign that was in change while Neva was away, and received his next section to reboot.   He was to join a handful of others in resetting the Main Computer.

Giving Tora a wave in parting, Lahr left Sickbay and headed down the corridor.  The Main Computer Core was on Deck Seven - which was handy - no need for more climbing. Though he supposed someone else might have already fixed the turbolift.  It had been several hours since all this began.

When Lahr got to the computer core, one look at the vast, vast number of isolinear chips that needed to be pulled and reset, had the Andorian groaning in misery.

His groan drew the attention of Petty Officer T'roth - a former member of Damage Control Team One with Lahr, but who got transferred a while back to DCT6.  The Vulcan woman raised a single slender eyebrow at his groan and spoke.  "If you must make vocalizations, it would be better for the morale of all present if they were more your usual caterwauling that you call singing than such a discouraging groan."

The musical request was a bit back-handed but Lahr ignored that as he moved to the next section and started on the top row of chips.   "You are so right.  Thank you for pointing that out."

The Andorian then cleared his throat and started to sing.  "A hundred bottles of beer on the wall, a hundred bottles of beer.  You take one down and pass it around, ninety-nine bottles on the wall.  Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer. You take one down and pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall...."

[Neva Cordon]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Unknown Small Town Street --> Landser Vehicle | Land | L7-425977 System]

Zhukdra'shar gazed at the crowd with hopeful eyes, earnest in his attempt to fix the mistakes of the landing party and initiate a peaceful first contact. Unfortunately, someone shouted, and the Starfleet officers became subject to a hail of bullets. Zhuk quickly donned the helmet back on as a response, retrieving his phaser from his belt up next. The Caitian internally cursed at them in expletives of Orion and Romulan origin, moving with grace and fleetness until he could take cover behind what he guessed was a mailbox, found next to a metal trashcan.

Deciding to offer Jettis some cover fire, he retrieved his phaser and fired at the one who had stirred the crowd up for his efforts. Of course, the Type-2 phaser was set to stun. Still, it was quite hard to peek out of cover and shoot, with how many Landsers there were. Yet, Lieutenant Jyur proved to be once more brave, as he indicated the two to run away, while he risked life and limb to draw attention towards him.

Gritting his teeth, Zhuk obeyed, activating his stealth function to make it easier to slip past their senses, following closely behind Neva to protect her. Things got worse and worse by the second.

He let out a hiss, his ears flat on his head, as suddenly a vehicle moved over to intercept them. Zhuk raised what would seem to them like a remote control, before stopping as he noticed Kyan on the back. Sighing, he approached the truck and jumped on, once Neva had climbed on board. After the suit flickered like a shimmering sea, his form was visible once more.

He set the helmet aside and leaned back on the cargo bed, showcasing unwittingly his feline features to the Landser children. He offered Kyan a half-hearted wave, frowning deeply. He was roused from his current foul mood by Kyan's explanation of who he was to the Landser child,

"Ah yes, you do not need to worry. I do not consume sentient life," Suddenly, he offered a playful grin, opening and closing his paw in Neva's direction, "Besides, in times of distress, it is more likely for me to turn to Lieutenant Junior Grade Cordon for sustenance."

He laughed, deciding that his joke was morbid enough. Indeed, he found it wise to omit the fact that ancient Caitians did once hunted down and ate Betazoids. Besides, albeit Synthetic Betazoid meat was a delicacy for his species, it never had appealed to him. Perhaps because it just felt wrong to eat a co-worker. Or a superior officer, like Commander Said was.

In any case, he cleared his throat, as he realized that the translators were working now,

"Hehe... yes, I am Zhuk. Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas. Lieutenant. Head of Security. To reiterate, my previous statement was just a joke. I did not truly expect that you were aware of mine words."

Yeah. That should clear any miscommunication. He proceeded to rest for a few moments until Mikel offered Kyan a strange, boxy device. The Landser adolescent thought about perhaps making a video to showcase their goodwill. Zhuk did not seem too convinced at first, but decided to go along with it.

Zhukdra'shar adopted his most regal stance as the video started, offering a soft nod of his face towards the camera screen when he was presented. He tried to channel his more dignified diplomat that lay within his furry casing. Feline eyes were kept on both Neva and Kyan as Zhuk was ready to interrupt them if anything improper or callous was said, unwilling to allow the relations with these new aliens to worsen even further.

Fortunately, and as he was reminded by his fellow officers, he was working with professionals, which had high standards. He took a deep breath after the video was sent, and he tried his best to relax, even though his quickly swishing tail told everyone that he was quite anxious. Finally, after a moment of silence, Zhuk spoke up,

"While I considered the reasoning behind the communications we have just sent to be reasonable, I can't help but consider that it was a tactical mistake. Our mission has been eschewed in favor of attempting to not damage the relationship we have with the Landsers even further, and repercussions shalt come in our way," He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers, "I also consider that we may face resistance when attempting to reach the Capitol. We must exercise caution, especially when we bring innocent souls on board. Speaking of..."

He turned towards Ee'lyot, "While I certainly appreciate the rescue of me and my compatriot, as well as the good treatment you have provided Commander Mckenzie, you exposed yourself too much. Do be more mindful of strangers next time."

His penetrating gaze then moved over towards Kyan and Neva, "Cordon. Commander. With all do respect, I wish to know what exactly transpired with thy suits, forth they would have prevented this entire situation...."

[ACEO Lt.JG Neva Cordon|Land-Ta|Kayala City]

Neva gave a wavering smile to Zhuk. "Well, my friend, that got shot to h-e double hockey sticks to say the least. When some of us popped in from the transporter, our suits were wrecked enough to be useless. So plans went from stealth to out in the open. Especially with the Captain's message."

The vehicle stopped suddenly, Mikel telling them they were at the capitol building. Neva bustled out, moving quickly to Kyan's side when he emerged. She looked around, taking in the crowd gathered there. She looked down and shook her head slowly, finally laying a hand firmly on the left side of her head.

~~~Confusion...Anger...Fear...~~~

These feelings battered Neva like a wave, causing her to grimace and groan slightly. Looking up again, she saw the others had continued to the entrance without her. Swallowing hard, the young woman made her way to a ledge by the stairway and sat down against it. She put her head between her knees and fought to calm herself.

The feelings from the crowd grew as her crewman showed. Now was not the time for those gathered to understand and speak for these people. As the mass surged forward Neva found her resolve.

Neva's head came up, her dark eyes somehow darker and more luminous. She burst up from her place and planted herself between the delegates and the growing mob. 'They MUST to stop coming! They NEED to understand!' She thought desperately.

Neva's heart was in her throat, her eyes wide with fear and determination. She poured every ounce of authority into her words and lifted her arms as if she could push back the coming storm.

"DO NOT COME CLOSER! NO HARM IS COMING TO YOU! YOU WILL CEASE YOUR FOOLISHNESS!! GO BACK TO YOUR HOMES AND BE AT PEACE! THERE IS NO DANGER!!"

Neva watched while breathing hard, as those gathered dispersed. Their progress was slow at first, the sidewalks and road emptying and their attempt to rush forward was arrested. Only when there were stragglers did Neva drop to the steps, the icy smoothness a balm on her back and cheek.

There was no way Neva could speak with the diplomacy the others were capable of. She lifted a leaden arm and hit her communicator. "Cordon to Challenger...I need beamed up to Sickbay...need help...please!" Neva's last words were ragged as blessed darkness enveloped her.

[Ian Galloway]

[ACEO Lt.JG Neva Cordon|Land-Ta|Kayala City]

There was no way Neva could speak with the diplomacy the others were capable of. She lifted a leaden arm and hit her communicator. "Cordon to Challenger...I need beamed up to Sickbay...need help...please!" Neva's last words were ragged as blessed darkness enveloped her.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian was surprised by the voice that answered Wu's hail. He expected the ever self assured Kyan, but the halting and clearly distressed voice of Lieutenant Cordon was not what he'd anticipated. However, going by how she sounded, something had gone badly wrong.

"Captain, I cannot recommend transporter use. Between the residual temporal pulse disruption caused by the return of the Landser probe and the polarized chronitons we used to protect ourselves, there is absolutely no way to know when someone would be sent."

Randall called out immediately with regret in his tone.

"Okay then, we can't bring Neva ta us, then we'll bloody well go ta her. Lieutenant Jaeger, report ta the shuttlebay and warm up the Mjolnir, I will be right behind you."

He tapped his combadge.

"Bridge ta sickbay. Medical emergency on the planet. I need a doctor and a medic ta meet me in the shuttlebay. Galloway out."

Ian turned to face Alexander.

"Based off of what I've seen so far, Mister Wu, you have the bridge. Continue repairs. Have the Scobee light on the skids and a security team prepped for an extraction if'n things go bad."

Ian then headed for the turbolift.

[Tora Zalos]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck 7 - Sickbay]

After completing his work in Sickbay in getting all their equipment up and running - and after seeing that Tora would be well-taken care of and soon would be returning to her own duties, Lahr called to Main Engineering (by that time comms had been made functional by someone else).  He updated the Ensign that was in change while Neva was away, and received his next section to reboot.   He was to join a handful of others in resetting the Main Computer.

Giving Tora a wave in parting, Lahr left Sickbay and headed down the corridor.  The Main Computer Core was on Deck Seven - which was handy - no need for more climbing. Though he supposed someone else might have already fixed the turbolift.  It had been several hours since all this began.

When Lahr got to the computer core, one look at the vast, vast number of isolinear chips that needed to be pulled and reset, had the Andorian groaning in misery.

His groan drew the attention of Petty Officer T'roth - a former member of Damage Control Team One with Lahr, but who got transferred a while back to DCT6.  The Vulcan woman raised a single slender eyebrow at his groan and spoke.  "If you must make vocalizations, it would be better for the morale of all present if they were more your usual caterwauling that you call singing than such a discouraging groan."

The musical request was a bit back-handed but Lahr ignored that as he moved to the next section and started on the top row of chips.   "You are so right.  Thank you for pointing that out."

The Andorian then cleared his throat and started to sing.  "A hundred bottles of beer on the wall, a hundred bottles of beer.  You take one down and pass it around, ninety-nine bottles on the wall.  Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer. You take one down and pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall...."

[Ensign Tora Zalos | Shuttlebay | USS CHallenger]

Lovely second mission of her career this was turning out to be. At least twice now she'd been thrown pretty damn near the doors of death. Tora had accepted (albeit somewhat begrudgingly) that this might just become her life, but really? Really? This early on? At least warn her a little first, right?

Nonetheless, as much as she would've loved to lay there all mission and be a lump of scales, Tora knew she'd wasted enough time. After checking briefly with the medical staff that she was clear to leave if she liked she began to leave - and no sooner had she set food out the door that the announcement came through:

"Bridge ta sickbay. Medical emergency on the planet. I need a doctor and a medic ta meet me in the shuttlebay. Galloway out."

Medical emergency. Planet. Tora's mind raced. She had no idea how Hyperion really was, though the chief had told her he was okay - but at least she could be useful on this mission. She couldn't remember if they'd made first contact with the people of this planet, but if they hadn't, she was just the person she needed. The Cardssian loped off down the hallway towards the turbolift. She'd been waiting to be useful in ways other than sorting data and this opportunity was ripe!

The medical team was already arriving when she got there. No surprise there. She joined them and waited for the captain to arrive. She only hoped she didn't look like death warmed up in front of him thre and then.

[Ian Galloway]

[Ensign Tora Zalos | Shuttlebay | USS CHallenger]

Lovely second mission of her career this was turning out to be. At least twice now she'd been thrown pretty damn near the doors of death. Tora had accepted (albeit somewhat begrudgingly) that this might just become her life, but really? Really? This early on? At least warn her a little first, right?

Nonetheless, as much as she would've loved to lay there all mission and be a lump of scales, Tora knew she'd wasted enough time. After checking briefly with the medical staff that she was clear to leave if she liked she began to leave - and no sooner had she set food out the door that the announcement came through:

Medical emergency. Planet. Tora's mind raced. She had no idea how Hyperion really was, though the chief had told her he was okay - but at least she could be useful on this mission. She couldn't remember if they'd made first contact with the people of this planet, but if they hadn't, she was just the person she needed. The Cardssian loped off down the hallway towards the turbolift. She'd been waiting to be useful in ways other than sorting data and this opportunity was ripe!

The medical team was already arriving when she got there. No surprise there. She joined them and waited for the captain to arrive. She only hoped she didn't look like death warmed up in front of him thre and then.

[Shuttlebay - USS Challenger]

Ian arrived and found, in addition to the two medical staff, Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Blackfeather waiting for him. Arching his eyebrow at Blackfeather, the security officer shrugged.

"Lieutenant Davenport ordered me here Sir, no senior officer can enter an unsecured location without an escort."

"Bloody regulations. Very good Senior Chief, let's-"

Ian looked up when an ensign in teal arrived. It took Ian a moment to place the new face before he replied.

"Ensign Tora Zalos. Science, anthropology."

Ian drew out this last word as the pieces fell into place.

"I suppose you think you can contribute ta our mission in a meaningful way? Well, this is a first contact and since our Ship's Counselor is nae a Betazoid, you might be worth your weight. Go ahead, get on the shuttle."

Ian boarded last and sealed the airlock behind him. He moved to the front of the shuttle and plopped down next to Ardy in the co-pilot's seat.

"Okay, Lieutenant, take us out, try ta nae scratch the paint."

[Jettis Jyur]

[Planetside - Landser Captivity ]

Jettis slowly stirred with a groan, eyes flickering open to stare blankly at the fuzzy and unsteady image of a wall. Or, was it the floor? No, the ceiling. Definitely the ceiling, that was his final verdict as he laid still on the too-small cot for a few moments. Trying to recollect what had happened, and why it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his temple.

Slowly, the day's events trickled back to them. The first contact mission, heading down planetside to stealthily observe them and see if they were fit for contact. How it had all crashed and burned the moment they entered the atmosphere.

And how he'd been swarmed, getting disarmed from his phaser and having to fight close-quarters as he watched Neva and Zhuk escape. Or at least, he hoped they'd managed to escape. He'd only caught a glimpse of their heads ducking out of sight, before darkness had warmly embraced him.

After sorting that out, his next question was obvious: where was he? Reluctantly sitting up, he immediately regretted it as the ceiling reoriented itself to the floor, and back to the wall again. Glancing down at his hands, his brows furrowed. His hands; they'd stripped him of his isolation suit at some point to reveal his generic starfleet uniform underneath. So much for anonymity.

The room was dark, but thankfully not pitch black, and he could make his way to the bars. His fingers moved hopefully to his commbadge first, before he leveled a wary glance outside the barrier. The risk-reward of trying to escape, versus waiting patiently to be collected by his team were unknown. On the one hand, he had no clue what the Landsers planned to do with him, if they even had a plan. On the other, it was likely they were just scared. Rightfully so. Four aliens dropped out of the sky onto their planet, anyone would lose their cool in that scenario.

Finally, he made a hesitant choice. "Hallo?" He called out to the open air, wondering if this prison was even guarded or if he was in some sort of observation chamber.

[Kyan Mackenzie]

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Land-Ta, traveling to the Capitol]

His penetrating gaze then moved over towards Kyan and Neva, "Cordon. Commander. With all do respect, I wish to know what exactly transpired with thy suits, forth they would have prevented this entire situation...."

Kyan simply shrugged. "œWell, When we beamed down there was a tree "˜tween meself an the ground so it was, an I landed in it. Me suit got ripped tae shreds and Eely'ot found me hangin there so he did, an him an G'erti brought me inside." Then recalling their neighbor, continued"¦ "œThe which was a good thing because their neighbor lady is a nosy sort of grup what would have called the police on me an no mistake. I'd have been hauled off fer sure."

~~ A little while later, entering the capitol"¦

The capitol city was thoroughly alien in it's layout and architecture, but not so much that Kyan couldn't see the similarities the place had with other governmental seats. The first thing that jumped out was that most of the buildings were older than those that he'd seen on the journey to get here. The newer buildings were metal with sharper angles and more glass and/or reflective surfaces. The ones here employed stone  and a blue colored wood that appeared to be from the same tree where Eely'ot had found Kyan dangling by the remnants of his isolation suit. The architecture was also striking. In lieu of the harder angles and clean lines of the newer buildings, those in the capitol were full of intricate domes and spires. Many had rounded windows with different colored glass reminiscent of old church windows on Earth.

The streets were largely empty now, with only a few people out. But as they drew closer to the center of the city where the government buildings stood looming over the wide streets, Kyan found out why the streets were deserted. Most of the people were probably here, crowded around the capitol building itself. There were scores of military-looking vehicles stationed around a huge stone building with several domes and spires which Kyan assumed was their destination.

Trepidation intermingled with excitement. Kyan had been on several first contact missions in his career, but never as the primary. He was usually the one making sure nothing crazy happened.

Which, now that he thought about it... was irresponsible as hell. Some of these captains needed their heads examined... or court-martialed, or checked for changelings or alien parasites. The Onlie nearly laughed aloud at the notion that he of all people was ever chosen as the one meant to prevent the crazy things from happening.

"We're here." Mikel informed them from the front seat. The Landser teen's head was a swivel as he stared in open-mouthed wonder at the assembled masses. "I've never seen this many people in one spot. Not even for President G'aloria's Oathtaking."

What really caught his attention were the signs. Kyan and the other aliens couldn't read them, but most of the ones Mikel saw seemed to be against the aliens. There was a large number in the crowd who seemed to be happy about their arrival, but they were outnumbered, by a lot.

Kyan shook free of his own reverie and saw the crowd for himself. He didn't need to be able to read the signs. The faces were expressing their sentiments well enough on their own. "Ok." he began. "When we get out... just walk up the steps. Dinnae interact with the crowd if ye can help it. We need tae talk to their leaders the now, and not them." Looking back out over the throngs of Landsers he added blithely.."I dinnae see no pitchforks, thanks be tae the Powers fer it."

When the vehicle came to a stop Kyan, Zhuk, and Neva got out and Kyan turned to Mikel. "Thanks fer the ride Mikel... an it was very good tae meet ye.. But yous three probably should go in case it turns ugly."

Mikel shook his head. "No. We should go with you. I know we're kids... but these are our people. We can show them that they don't need to be afraid of you."

Kyan considered that. It did have some merit. Finally he grinned. "Ye know... fer a little kid... it's smart ye are."

"Says the alien kid who landed in our tree."

"Yah well... dat's complicated so it is.. And that's not the worst place I landed on a mission so... " Kyan countered, the Melok Nor incident coming to mind. Finally he shrugged. "Ah right den come on."

Mikel, Eely'ot, and G'erti all got out and joined Kyan, Zhuk, and Neva. When they turned to begin their walk inside, an older looking Landser man blocked their path. Mike bent down to speak to Kyan amid the cacophony of noise around them. "That's General Way'nir. He's the commander of the President's protection service."

As they advanced, Kyan didn't notice Neva drop off. He was too busy scanning the Landser soldiers with their rifles at the ready who were watching them with varying degrees of wonder, and suspicion. When they got closer he smiled up at the Landser man. "Merry Met General Way'nir. I'm Lieutenant Commander Kyan Mackenzie of the....."

And then, as it often did whenever Kyan was aboard, the train went off the rails.

"DO NOT COME CLOSER! NO HARM IS COMING TO YOU! YOU WILL CEASE YOUR FOOLISHNESS!! GO BACK TO YOUR HOMES AND BE AT PEACE! THERE IS NO DANGER!!"

Neva watched while breathing hard, as those gathered dispersed. Their progress was slow at first, the sidewalks and road emptying and their attempt to rush forward was arrested. Only when there were stragglers did Neva drop to the steps, the icy smoothness a balm on her back and cheek.

There was no way Neva could speak with the diplomacy the others were capable of. She lifted a leaden arm and hit her communicator. "Cordon to Challenger...I need beamed up to Sickbay...need help...please!" Neva's last words were ragged as blessed darkness enveloped her.

Neva's outburst was a shock. What was even more shocking was that to some degree, it worked. Most of the Landsers pushing against the guardrails dispersed. But that was a short-lived victory.

Those who had gone were soon replaced by others who were more angry than afraid. The soldiers stopped them from getting to Neva, but that couldn't last. There were too many of them. "Zhuk. Grab Neva and bring her inside." Kyan looked up at the General, who was issuing orders to his men. "General, we need tae be gettin inside. I dinnae want any of yer people hurt because of us... an I wanna protect my crewmates too so.."

Way'nir nodded. "I agree... erhm.. Commander you said?"

Kyan nodded. "Aye, but ye can call me Kyan, the which I like better than me rank."

Way'nir quirked an eyebrow. The obvious questions on the tip of his tongue died there as a Landser broke through the barricade. Luckily it wasn't an angry one.

"Aliens!" she called out as she ran toward them tugging at the hem of her shirt, which had a crude drawing on the front. It was a circular face with a shock of red hair scribbled on it.

"Hey!" Kyan laughed, "Look.. it's me!"

The Landser woman barreled toward them screaming. "Take me with you on your spaceship! I want to go with you!" She was pulling her shirt up when she ran into a pair of soldiers who blocked her from getting any further.

Kyan didn't see what happened next as he was turned bodily toward the entrance by Way'nir. "I think we better hurry inside Co.. Kyan. The President will be waiting with her staff."

"Aye General." Kyan replied, trying to glance over his shoulder to see what had become of the woman. "Take me to yer leader!"

[Ian Galloway]

[Shuttlebay - USS Challenger --> Land Moot Hall]

The Mjolnir departed with Ian; Ardy; Tora; Blackfeather; Lieutenant JG Doctor Vonn Zorr, a Bolian male; and Petty Officer Second Class Heesou, an Orion Female. Ian glanced surreptitiously as the away team and thought.

"Quite the mixed bag of species. The Landsers will nae ken what ta think of the Federation when they get a load of us."

With her shields up, the Mjolnir easily evaded the Landser's radar systems and headed for the Land Moot Hall. It was short notice, but Ian was certain as many Landser nation-state leaders as could would be there. He hoped that his second message, this time with the universal translator actually functioning would pave the way for a smooth encounter.

Ian had to force himself not to fidget as this was the first time he would be leading a First Contact. Based on consultations he'd made with the ship's computer on the subject, he was all too aware how easily the initial meeting with a new species could go wrong. So much hinged on nearly blind luck which way the encounter would go. This was especially important as the Landsers had an unintentional weapon for which Starfleet only had a provisional defense against with their fold space system.

Ardy brought the Mjolnir in for a landing with flair almost as good as his own as they landed in the courtyard of the hall. Steeling himself, he stood and offered some quick words to the others on the away team.

"Best behavior now. You are representin' the entire Federation and this is about as delicate a situation as you will ever face. Friendship or all out war will turn on a single phrase. All any of us can do is our best. Let's make some new friends."

Blackfeather had opened the airlock as Ian spoke and then stood aside to let the captain go first. Ian stepped out into the bright sunny day and hoped that was a good omen. Outside, there were a dozen Landsers in varying styles of dress, which implied that there was a good representation of the people of Land were present. Ian stopped two meters from the semi-circle of dignitaries and smiled.

"People of Land-Ta. I am Captain Ian Galloway of the United Federation of Planets. I greet you in friendship."

Ian then waited to see what would happened next and hoped pitchforks were not involved.

[Planetside - Landser Captivity ]

Jettis slowly stirred with a groan, eyes flickering open to stare blankly at the fuzzy and unsteady image of a wall. Or, was it the floor? No, the ceiling. Definitely the ceiling, that was his final verdict as he laid still on the too-small cot for a few moments. Trying to recollect what had happened, and why it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his temple.

Slowly, the day's events trickled back to them. The first contact mission, heading down planetside to stealthily observe them and see if they were fit for contact. How it had all crashed and burned the moment they entered the atmosphere.

And how he'd been swarmed, getting disarmed from his phaser and having to fight close-quarters as he watched Neva and Zhuk escape. Or at least, he hoped they'd managed to escape. He'd only caught a glimpse of their heads ducking out of sight, before darkness had warmly embraced him.

After sorting that out, his next question was obvious: where was he? Reluctantly sitting up, he immediately regretted it as the ceiling reoriented itself to the floor, and back to the wall again. Glancing down at his hands, his brows furrowed. His hands; they'd stripped him of his isolation suit at some point to reveal his generic starfleet uniform underneath. So much for anonymity.

The room was dark, but thankfully not pitch black, and he could make his way to the bars. His fingers moved hopefully to his commbadge first, before he leveled a wary glance outside the barrier. The risk-reward of trying to escape, versus waiting patiently to be collected by his team were unknown. On the one hand, he had no clue what the Landsers planned to do with him, if they even had a plan. On the other, it was likely they were just scared. Rightfully so. Four aliens dropped out of the sky onto their planet, anyone would lose their cool in that scenario.

Finally, he made a hesitant choice. "Hallo?" He called out to the open air, wondering if this prison was even guarded or if he was in some sort of observation chamber.

[Central Jail - Kayala City]

It was only a matter of moments before Jettis' call brought results. A pair of Landsers arrived, wearing red uniforms. They stopped in front of his cell and gave Jettis a long probing stare.

"You are lucky none of the people you shot died. We are very interested in your weapon, we will be asking about how it works later. However, now, we are more concerned about your infiltration of Magana territory. Are you working with the Gosure Enclave? It would be like them to have your "Captain" speaking of peace while you penetrate our airspace to conduct espionage."

[Jettis Jyur]

[Central Jail - Kayala City]

It was only a matter of moments before Jettis' call brought results. A pair of Landsers arrived, wearing red uniforms. They stopped in front of his cell and gave Jettis a long probing stare.

"You are lucky none of the people you shot died. We are very interested in your weapon, we will be asking about how it works later. However, now, we are more concerned about your infiltration of Magana territory. Are you working with the Gosure Enclave? It would be like them to have your "Captain" speaking of peace while you penetrate our airspace to conduct espionage."

[ Landser Jail, Kayala City ]

Jettis had turned to appraise the newcomers when they responded to his call. They returned the stare, equally if not more harshly, and for a moment he wondered if they would ever stop. Eventually though, they spoke. But the next words made him wonder if they'd hit his head harder than he thought. Absently, he reached up toward the side of his head that was most tender, feeling for any outward injury with a wince.

He measured his words carefully. "My intention was never to kill or seriously harm," was his first clarification. If that would make any difference in his treatment, he hoped at least it would put them a bit more at ease. Unlikely. "And I have no knowledge of the 'Gosure Enclave', and most certainly I am not working for them."

It did strike him that they asked first if he were a spy, and not what the hell kind of creature are you? Which he would have assumed would be the more pressing question. Which lead into his next train of thought - they had mentioned the Captain, which he could only assume meant their screw-up had been so catastrophic, there was no choice but to contact them now.

"Ja, Captain Galloway. I'm certain he has, or will offer an explanation," he paused thoughtfully. "However we have no plans to steal any information. We do have an interest in your scientific advancements though, I'm certain we'll get to discuss it later."
Stepping back from the door, he sighed and swallowed hard. "In the meantime, could I request a bottle of water?" Or whatever they had instead of bottles. Hopefully the universal translator would suffice, it hadn't been given much time at all to assimilate all of the different dialects of the planet. And without technically being space-faring yet, there were still many, many dialects.

[Alexander Wu]

[USS Challenger - Bridge]

Galloway didn't leave much of an opportunity for Alex to argue that the Captain leaving to go on a rescue mission was very much so against regulations, and even if he had, Alex couldn't immediately recall the actual policy number to quote. He would've volunteered himself instead, especially with Ardyn being assigned, if he didn't think his injured knee would be a liability if it came down to actual conflict.

"œAye sir, I have the conn." Alex automatically replied after a brief hesitation, surprised by the decision when there were several other officers on the bridge. Still, he quickly limped over to the centre of the bridge, only brushing Ardyn's hand with a passing thought, Stay safe down there, and took the chair, a familiar enough perch, albeit on a strange new bridge surrounded by colleagues, some of whom he hadn't even met. Alex was also very cognizant of the hundreds of lives he was now responsible for, an uncomfortable reality which he hadn't expected being faced with less than 48 hours of being onboard. "œLieutenant Booker, prepare your dampening field and prepare to execute. Randall, if that fold-space device so much as twitches, I need to know about it." He wouldn't relish starting a war, but he also wasn't about to take the risk of losing his Captain, or more importantly, the mother of his child.

"Away team, this is Challenger, we copy you require assistance. What is your current location and status?"

By now, he'd gotten a PADD working again, and pulled up a file on Challenger's available shuttlecraft. Even though the Captain had specified preparing Scobee, Alex wasn't confident it was the best choice based on it's possible required task. With the Captain's away team, they now had ten crewmembers on the surface, far too many for a single Type 11 shuttle to evacuate by itself in a worst case scenario, especially if they were to also carry down a pilot and reinforcing security team. With all of the onboard shuttlecraft also needing to be manually repaired, preparing two smaller shuttles would take up time they might not have if negotiations went south.

Reviewing the crew roster next, Alex made an executive choice to alter Galloway's orders. "Bridge to Chief ch'Verret, report to the main shuttlebay with your damage control team, prepare the Cutty Sark for launch."

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck 7 - Computer Core room]

[USS Challenger - Bridge]

Galloway didn't leave much of an opportunity for Alex to argue that the Captain leaving to go on a rescue mission was very much so against regulations, and even if he had, Alex couldn't immediately recall the actual policy number to quote. He would've volunteered himself instead, especially with Ardyn being assigned, if he didn't think his injured knee would be a liability if it came down to actual conflict.

"œAye sir, I have the conn." Alex automatically replied after a brief hesitation, surprised by the decision when there were several other officers on the bridge. Still, he quickly limped over to the centre of the bridge, only brushing Ardyn's hand with a passing thought, Stay safe down there, and took the chair, a familiar enough perch, albeit on a strange new bridge surrounded by colleagues, some of whom he hadn't even met. Alex was also very cognizant of the hundreds of lives he was now responsible for, an uncomfortable reality which he hadn't expected being faced with less than 48 hours of being onboard. "œLieutenant Booker, prepare your dampening field and prepare to execute. Randall, if that fold-space device so much as twitches, I need to know about it." He wouldn't relish starting a war, but he also wasn't about to take the risk of losing his Captain, or more importantly, the mother of his child.

"Away team, this is Challenger, we copy you require assistance. What is your current location and status?"

By now, he'd gotten a PADD working again, and pulled up a file on Challenger's available shuttlecraft. Even though the Captain had specified preparing Scobee, Alex wasn't confident it was the best choice based on it's possible required task. With the Captain's away team, they now had ten crewmembers on the surface, far too many for a single Type 11 shuttle to evacuate by itself in a worst case scenario, especially if they were to also carry down a pilot and reinforcing security team. With all of the onboard shuttlecraft also needing to be manually repaired, preparing two smaller shuttles would take up time they might not have if negotiations went south.

Reviewing the crew roster next, Alex made an executive choice to alter Galloway's orders. "Bridge to Chief ch'Verret, report to the main shuttlebay with your damage control team, prepare the Cutty Sark for launch."

Ten minutes into the song, Lahr's voice was becoming hoarse but the Andorian was determined to finish it completely.  For about 30 refrains he'd had one or two others join in the song for kicks but their dedication wavered quickly and it was now just him singing again.

"Twenty-seven bottles of beer on the wall, twenty-seven bottles of beer.  You take one down and pass it around - '

The rest of the verse was left unsung as Lahr paused at the chime of his comm badge.  The follow-up order from the Bridge - though Lahr didn't recognize the voice at all - had the Engineer rising up off the floor.  Why the hell were engineers being called to prep a shuttle?  Weren't there enough bored flight officers for that?  Oh well, it had to be better than this, right?

"Yes sir." Lahr acknowledged, before closing the comm and immediately opening a new one to gather together Damage Control Team One and direct them towards the shuttlebay.  The Andorian was a bit baffled why he'd been called to arrange this and not Ensign Jones (the ranking engineer of the team) but she didn't seem to question the orders he claimed were from the bridge, so he supposed all was good.

Lahr then looked to remaining engineers left in the Computer Core room.  "Sorry to leave in the midst of my song. Feel free to continue where I left off.  Later!"   He gave a wave and headed out.  No sooner had the doors begun to shut behind him than he heard the others cheering behind him.   Lahr's antennae lifted a bit.   Their cheering improved his mood.  He liked making others happy.

[USS Challenger - Deck 19 - Main Shuttlebay]
A quick turbolift trip down to deck nineteen had him arriving at the main shuttlebay a minute later.  There he found the Cutty Sark waiting for him and his team to begin prepping her for launch.  He was so not envious of the poor unfortunate souls called on to man the away mission - not when there was the threat of space-folding hanging over their head.

While Lahr headed inside to the cockpit to go over the pre-flight checks, Ensign Jones opened up the engine panel to give it a once over, Petty Officer third grade Clarisse Hicks - the newest member of the team who had only recent come aboard with the bevy of cadets - remained outside the shuttle to begin scanning over the shuttle's hull to ensure there were no weaknesses in the Duranium/Tritanium alloy it was comprised of or the Ablative reinforcement, and Crewman Maranxx-ii checked the inventory to be sure everything that was supposed to be on the shuttle was present.

In less than thirty minutes the damage control team had the shuttle cleared and ready to, all it needed now was an away team.  When it came time to call up to the Bridge with their update, Jones delegated the task to Lahr.

"ch'Verret to um... the Bridge"   It was annoying not knowing the name or rank of the individual who had called him.
"The Cutty Sark is prepped and awaits her away team."

[Ardyn Jaeger]

[USS Challenger - Bridge]

Galloway didn't leave much of an opportunity for Alex to argue that the Captain leaving to go on a rescue mission was very much so against regulations, and even if he had, Alex couldn't immediately recall the actual policy number to quote. He would've volunteered himself instead, especially with Ardyn being assigned, if he didn't think his injured knee would be a liability if it came down to actual conflict.

"œAye sir, I have the conn." Alex automatically replied after a brief hesitation, surprised by the decision when there were several other officers on the bridge. Still, he quickly limped over to the centre of the bridge, only brushing Ardyn's hand with a passing thought, Stay safe down there, and took the chair, a familiar enough perch, albeit on a strange new bridge surrounded by colleagues, some of whom he hadn't even met. Alex was also very cognizant of the hundreds of lives he was now responsible for, an uncomfortable reality which he hadn't expected being faced with less than 48 hours of being onboard. "œLieutenant Booker, prepare your dampening field and prepare to execute. Randall, if that fold-space device so much as twitches, I need to know about it." He wouldn't relish starting a war, but he also wasn't about to take the risk of losing his Captain, or more importantly, the mother of his child.

"Away team, this is Challenger, we copy you require assistance. What is your current location and status?"

By now, he'd gotten a PADD working again, and pulled up a file on Challenger's available shuttlecraft. Even though the Captain had specified preparing Scobee, Alex wasn't confident it was the best choice based on it's possible required task. With the Captain's away team, they now had ten crewmembers on the surface, far too many for a single Type 11 shuttle to evacuate by itself in a worst case scenario, especially if they were to also carry down a pilot and reinforcing security team. With all of the onboard shuttlecraft also needing to be manually repaired, preparing two smaller shuttles would take up time they might not have if negotiations went south.

Reviewing the crew roster next, Alex made an executive choice to alter Galloway's orders. "Bridge to Chief ch'Verret, report to the main shuttlebay with your damage control team, prepare the Cutty Sark for launch."

[Shuttlebay - USS Challenger --> Land Moot Hall]

The Mjolnir departed with Ian; Ardy; Tora; Blackfeather; Lieutenant JG Doctor Vonn Zorr, a Bolian male; and Petty Officer Second Class Heesou, an Orion Female. Ian glanced surreptitiously as the away team and thought.

"Quite the mixed bag of species. The Landsers will nae ken what ta think of the Federation when they get a load of us."

With her shields up, the Mjolnir easily evaded the Landser's radar systems and headed for the Land Moot Hall. It was short notice, but Ian was certain as many Landser nation-state leaders as could would be there. He hoped that his second message, this time with the universal translator actually functioning would pave the way for a smooth encounter.

Ian had to force himself not to fidget as this was the first time he would be leading a First Contact. Based on consultations he'd made with the ship's computer on the subject, he was all too aware how easily the initial meeting with a new species could go wrong. So much hinged on nearly blind luck which way the encounter would go. This was especially important as the Landsers had an unintentional weapon for which Starfleet only had a provisional defense against with their fold space system.

Ardy brought the Mjolnir in for a landing with flair almost as good as his own as they landed in the courtyard of the hall. Steeling himself, he stood and offered some quick words to the others on the away team.

"Best behavior now. You are representin' the entire Federation and this is about as delicate a situation as you will ever face. Friendship or all out war will turn on a single phrase. All any of us can do is our best. Let's make some new friends."

Blackfeather had opened the airlock as Ian spoke and then stood aside to let the captain go first. Ian stepped out into the bright sunny day and hoped that was a good omen. Outside, there were a dozen Landsers in varying styles of dress, which implied that there was a good representation of the people of Land were present. Ian stopped two meters from the semi-circle of dignitaries and smiled.

"People of Land-Ta. I am Captain Ian Galloway of the United Federation of Planets. I greet you in friendship."

Ian then waited to see what would happened next and hoped pitchforks were not involved.

[Central Jail - Kayala City]

It was only a matter of moments before Jettis' call brought results. A pair of Landsers arrived, wearing red uniforms. They stopped in front of his cell and gave Jettis a long probing stare.

"You are lucky none of the people you shot died. We are very interested in your weapon, we will be asking about how it works later. However, now, we are more concerned about your infiltration of Magana territory. Are you working with the Gosure Enclave? It would be like them to have your "Captain" speaking of peace while you penetrate our airspace to conduct espionage."

[Bridge]

The  message from the away team sounded pretty dire to her. She didn't know the woman who  was on the other end of the line, but from the tone of her voice, it was enough to send Ardyn into action mode.  The good news was that the shuttle they were going to use was  already warmed up and ready to go,  she just needed the coordinates for this Moot place and she'd be good.

She gave a quiet nod to Alex in response to his thought as he took the seat, a neat little trick they'd figured out between each other.  I will,  promise. Keep an eye on Maddy if you can, and  don't let the big chair get to your head. "   She gave a wry grin at that last one to try and ease his tension a little, a bit of an inside joke  of sorts.

[Shuttle]

Taking the shuttle out, Ardy smirked. "œTrust me, Boss. not scratching paint is my specialty."

She could sense his trepidation at the thought of doing this First Contact. She didn't blame him in the slightest on that. With the firepower that these Landsers were playing with,  This could either go well or it could go equally south just as fast.

"œWe've reached the surface." She reported as they landed. So far, the Landsers had given them a clearing, at least.

"œLet's hope we make a good impression then," she said as they went out onto the planet.

Nodding, Ardyn gave a smile to the dignitaries. It was hard to get any sort of mental read on them just yet. So, she just stayed silent and alert for now.

[Ian Galloway]

[ Landser Jail, Kayala City ]

Jettis had turned to appraise the newcomers when they responded to his call. They returned the stare, equally if not more harshly, and for a moment he wondered if they would ever stop. Eventually though, they spoke. But the next words made him wonder if they'd hit his head harder than he thought. Absently, he reached up toward the side of his head that was most tender, feeling for any outward injury with a wince.

He measured his words carefully. "My intention was never to kill or seriously harm," was his first clarification. If that would make any difference in his treatment, he hoped at least it would put them a bit more at ease. Unlikely. "And I have no knowledge of the 'Gosure Enclave', and most certainly I am not working for them."

It did strike him that they asked first if he were a spy, and not what the hell kind of creature are you? Which he would have assumed would be the more pressing question. Which lead into his next train of thought - they had mentioned the Captain, which he could only assume meant their screw-up had been so catastrophic, there was no choice but to contact them now.

"Ja, Captain Galloway. I'm certain he has, or will offer an explanation," he paused thoughtfully. "However we have no plans to steal any information. We do have an interest in your scientific advancements though, I'm certain we'll get to discuss it later."
Stepping back from the door, he sighed and swallowed hard. "In the meantime, could I request a bottle of water?" Or whatever they had instead of bottles. Hopefully the universal translator would suffice, it hadn't been given much time at all to assimilate all of the different dialects of the planet. And without technically being space-faring yet, there were still many, many dialects.

[Central Jail - Kayala City]

The two Landsers' eyes narrowed and Jettis could feel a pressure within his head, which he quickly figured out was a powerful telepathic probe. Once he was aware of what the locals were doing, he was able to hold off the intrusion, but it was scary just how powerful the attack had been. When the Landser's finally relented, they looked even more suspicious than before they'd started. Clearly frustrated, the taller of the two growled.

"So, you admit you want our scientific achievements? Regardless of which faction you are working for, you will not get them. What is going to happen is you are to be transported to the Land Moot for your final disposition. You can be certain, we will argue strongly for your incarceration for espionage whatever kind of alien you happen to be."

At a gesture, a dozen heavily armed guards arrived and Jettis found himself manacled and bundled into a wheeled vehicle. This was followed by a short trip that led to an atmospheric craft of some sort that quickly took off with him remaining under heavy guard to wherever they had planned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Lt. Commander Kyan Mackenzie | Land-Ta, traveling to the Capitol]

Kyan simply shrugged. "œWell, When we beamed down there was a tree "˜tween meself an the ground so it was, an I landed in it. Me suit got ripped tae shreds and Eely'ot found me hangin there so he did, an him an G'erti brought me inside." Then recalling their neighbor, continued"¦ "œThe which was a good thing because their neighbor lady is a nosy sort of grup what would have called the police on me an no mistake. I'd have been hauled off fer sure."

~~ A little while later, entering the capitol"¦

The capitol city was thoroughly alien in it's layout and architecture, but not so much that Kyan couldn't see the similarities the place had with other governmental seats. The first thing that jumped out was that most of the buildings were older than those that he'd seen on the journey to get here. The newer buildings were metal with sharper angles and more glass and/or reflective surfaces. The ones here employed stone  and a blue colored wood that appeared to be from the same tree where Eely'ot had found Kyan dangling by the remnants of his isolation suit. The architecture was also striking. In lieu of the harder angles and clean lines of the newer buildings, those in the capitol were full of intricate domes and spires. Many had rounded windows with different colored glass reminiscent of old church windows on Earth.

The streets were largely empty now, with only a few people out. But as they drew closer to the center of the city where the government buildings stood looming over the wide streets, Kyan found out why the streets were deserted. Most of the people were probably here, crowded around the capitol building itself. There were scores of military-looking vehicles stationed around a huge stone building with several domes and spires which Kyan assumed was their destination.

Trepidation intermingled with excitement. Kyan had been on several first contact missions in his career, but never as the primary. He was usually the one making sure nothing crazy happened.

Which, now that he thought about it... was irresponsible as hell. Some of these captains needed their heads examined... or court-martialed, or checked for changelings or alien parasites. The Onlie nearly laughed aloud at the notion that he of all people was ever chosen as the one meant to prevent the crazy things from happening.

"We're here." Mikel informed them from the front seat. The Landser teen's head was a swivel as he stared in open-mouthed wonder at the assembled masses. "I've never seen this many people in one spot. Not even for President G'aloria's Oathtaking."

What really caught his attention were the signs. Kyan and the other aliens couldn't read them, but most of the ones Mikel saw seemed to be against the aliens. There was a large number in the crowd who seemed to be happy about their arrival, but they were outnumbered, by a lot.

Kyan shook free of his own reverie and saw the crowd for himself. He didn't need to be able to read the signs. The faces were expressing their sentiments well enough on their own. "Ok." he began. "When we get out... just walk up the steps. Dinnae interact with the crowd if ye can help it. We need tae talk to their leaders the now, and not them." Looking back out over the throngs of Landsers he added blithely.."I dinnae see no pitchforks, thanks be tae the Powers fer it."

When the vehicle came to a stop Kyan, Zhuk, and Neva got out and Kyan turned to Mikel. "Thanks fer the ride Mikel... an it was very good tae meet ye.. But yous three probably should go in case it turns ugly."

Mikel shook his head. "No. We should go with you. I know we're kids... but these are our people. We can show them that they don't need to be afraid of you."

Kyan considered that. It did have some merit. Finally he grinned. "Ye know... fer a little kid... it's smart ye are."

"Says the alien kid who landed in our tree."

"Yah well... dat's complicated so it is.. And that's not the worst place I landed on a mission so... " Kyan countered, the Melok Nor incident coming to mind. Finally he shrugged. "Ah right den come on."

Mikel, Eely'ot, and G'erti all got out and joined Kyan, Zhuk, and Neva. When they turned to begin their walk inside, an older looking Landser man blocked their path. Mike bent down to speak to Kyan amid the cacophony of noise around them. "That's General Way'nir. He's the commander of the President's protection service."

As they advanced, Kyan didn't notice Neva drop off. He was too busy scanning the Landser soldiers with their rifles at the ready who were watching them with varying degrees of wonder, and suspicion. When they got closer he smiled up at the Landser man. "Merry Met General Way'nir. I'm Lieutenant Commander Kyan Mackenzie of the....."

And then, as it often did whenever Kyan was aboard, the train went off the rails.

Neva's outburst was a shock. What was even more shocking was that to some degree, it worked. Most of the Landsers pushing against the guardrails dispersed. But that was a short-lived victory.

Those who had gone were soon replaced by others who were more angry than afraid. The soldiers stopped them from getting to Neva, but that couldn't last. There were too many of them. "Zhuk. Grab Neva and bring her inside." Kyan looked up at the General, who was issuing orders to his men. "General, we need tae be gettin inside. I dinnae want any of yer people hurt because of us... an I wanna protect my crewmates too so.."

Way'nir nodded. "I agree... erhm.. Commander you said?"

Kyan nodded. "Aye, but ye can call me Kyan, the which I like better than me rank."

Way'nir quirked an eyebrow. The obvious questions on the tip of his tongue died there as a Landser broke through the barricade. Luckily it wasn't an angry one.

"Aliens!" she called out as she ran toward them tugging at the hem of her shirt, which had a crude drawing on the front. It was a circular face with a shock of red hair scribbled on it.

"Hey!" Kyan laughed, "Look.. it's me!"

The Landser woman barreled toward them screaming. "Take me with you on your spaceship! I want to go with you!" She was pulling her shirt up when she ran into a pair of soldiers who blocked her from getting any further.

Kyan didn't see what happened next as he was turned bodily toward the entrance by Way'nir. "I think we better hurry inside Co.. Kyan. The President will be waiting with her staff."

"Aye General." Kyan replied, trying to glance over his shoulder to see what had become of the woman. "Take me to yer leader!"

[Government Center - Kayala City]

Way'nir had a long stride and this forced Kyan, the three Landser children, and even Zhuk because of carrying Neva to struggle to keep up. At each doorway, Landser guards snapped to attention and opened the doors at the sight of the general until the group entered the main government chamber. There, a trio of Landsers in very elaborate robes waited behind a very tall and imposing desk. Way'nir bowed his head and spoke.

"Madam President, this is the leader of the aliens. He goes by the title of Commander Kyan Mackenzie. He will speak to you on his own behalf."

If the Landser President found speaking to what looked like, for all intents and purposes, a young child to be unusual, she did not show it. She simply looked at Kyan with interest and waited for him to speak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Outside the Land Moot Hall]

Ian waited for a response to his opening statement which seemed unusually long in coming. He had no way of knowing that the delegates before him were speaking telepathically among themselves before one of them, dressed in a simple green robe with a brilliant yellow starburst styled medallion around his neck stepped forward.

"Captain Iangalloway." The Landser ran the name together when he replied. "Welcome to Land-Ta. I am Inti. Moot Master. It seems we have much to discuss..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[USS Challenger - Bridge]

Galloway didn't leave much of an opportunity for Alex to argue that the Captain leaving to go on a rescue mission was very much so against regulations, and even if he had, Alex couldn't immediately recall the actual policy number to quote. He would've volunteered himself instead, especially with Ardyn being assigned, if he didn't think his injured knee would be a liability if it came down to actual conflict.

"œAye sir, I have the conn." Alex automatically replied after a brief hesitation, surprised by the decision when there were several other officers on the bridge. Still, he quickly limped over to the centre of the bridge, only brushing Ardyn's hand with a passing thought, Stay safe down there, and took the chair, a familiar enough perch, albeit on a strange new bridge surrounded by colleagues, some of whom he hadn't even met. Alex was also very cognizant of the hundreds of lives he was now responsible for, an uncomfortable reality which he hadn't expected being faced with less than 48 hours of being onboard. "œLieutenant Booker, prepare your dampening field and prepare to execute. Randall, if that fold-space device so much as twitches, I need to know about it." He wouldn't relish starting a war, but he also wasn't about to take the risk of losing his Captain, or more importantly, the mother of his child.

"Away team, this is Challenger, we copy you require assistance. What is your current location and status?"

By now, he'd gotten a PADD working again, and pulled up a file on Challenger's available shuttlecraft. Even though the Captain had specified preparing Scobee, Alex wasn't confident it was the best choice based on it's possible required task. With the Captain's away team, they now had ten crewmembers on the surface, far too many for a single Type 11 shuttle to evacuate by itself in a worst case scenario, especially if they were to also carry down a pilot and reinforcing security team. With all of the onboard shuttlecraft also needing to be manually repaired, preparing two smaller shuttles would take up time they might not have if negotiations went south.

Reviewing the crew roster next, Alex made an executive choice to alter Galloway's orders. "Bridge to Chief ch'Verret, report to the main shuttlebay with your damage control team, prepare the Cutty Sark for launch."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Even though Alex was new to the ship, the bridge crew responded to his orders crisply and soon received confirmation from Lieutenant Booker that the dampening field was ready, while Lieutenant Randall reported that the fold space probe was in a holding orbit and was transmitting data to the facility built on the Landser moon.

With the report from Lahr that the Cutty Sark was ready for launch, that left Alex in the unenviable position of having to wait for one of the away teams to update him on whether or not he'd have to take action.