USS Dark Fire (IC)

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1530

“Hobbies? I paint and try my hand at poetry and music at times. So far Major K’alena is the only one that likes it.”

Looking at the hatchway the Marine had gone through he wanted to give the man backup, but the non security needed protection as well. Though Sol could stay, or go with the Marine.

“Sol, Someone needs to go with the Marine. You or me. Wanna flip a credit for whom has to stay? And who gets to explore?”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

The counselor didn’t utter a word while the other spoke, hanging to every syllable with intrigue. If she had a notepad with her, her hand would be speeding through a page. Their peaceful rhetoric was what fascinated her the most, assuming it was true. She admired it deeply.

“Have you had any interactions with Earth?” she finally asked. “It is where I am personally from.”

She exchanged a look with the commander. She figured she shouldn’t share too much information just yet. “We arrived for perusal, not to cause any conflict or harm.”

Not hurting any life seemed to be such a bare minimum those days. Xiana could spend hours discussing the definition of their greater good, but there were priorities. “Understood, I’ll relay your expectations. In the meantime, we should make sure our colleagues are alright. Are we okay to continue our exploration? Might you serve as a guide?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1535

“Earth? I’ve never heard of it.” It replied. “Peace is always the best option. War and conflict are never for the greater good. Yes, you may continue your exploration. But please stop hurting the residence of this place. You are scary to them as much as they are to you.”

“If you need me as a guide, yes, I can help you.” The unusual blue alien said watching the three of them.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Without a doubt. Xiana knew plants were alive, but having a first hand advocate that could truly relay their sentiments was incredible. When all was calm yet again in their side of the universe, could she persuade her companions to vacation in the place?

She turned to her colleagues. “Your call.”

 

[milkmaiden38]

Ensign Cook
“Paint?” she exclaimed, eyes lighting up. “I love to paint. We should do it together sometime.” Riley smiled at her enthusiasm. “Deal.”

Lt. Sol and Lt. Bumme
“Lieutenant Jovovich, we’ve completed the exterior scan,” Sol reported. “We’ll go after the sergeant.” Bumme gave a curt nod, already moving.

Sol pulled the hatch open and offered Loka a hand up. She climbed in smoothly. Sol crouched, coiled like a spring, then launched himself into the ship with a fluid display of power.

“Show-off,” Loka teased with a grin.

Her tricorder was already humming, casting a soft light ahead. The space they entered was an airlock. The interior hatch stood open—likely the sergeant's doing.

“Let’s move,” said Zosh, and the pair advanced into a wide corridor.

“Most likely bipedal,” Loka noted, scanning as they walked.

“Not necessarily,” Zosh replied, “but I think you’re right. They’re large—like me.”

The corridor ceilings arched high above them, clearly built for a being around seven feet tall.

“The control panels use visual displays,” Loka observed, running her hand over one. “But the buttons… they’re not standard.”

“Similar to Croc pads,” Zosh mused. “I’d wager they had clawed appendages.”

They pressed deeper into the ship, each step echoing softly, the corridor stretching for a long ways.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1540

Reeves:​

“Yes. A guide would allow us to reach our companions faster.” Reeves replied watching the exchange.

Yito kept looking at her tricorder, watching the scans of the area.

Jovovich:​

Sighing as the lizard and companion headed into the ship Jovovich moved over towards the plaque. “Were you able to get it to translate? Curious to know,” he added. “Looks like a couple languages.”

Alien:​

Moving through the trees the Delvian guide walked with ease, seemingly knowing where every root and branch was. Or the forest was moving out of it’s way, but that was highly unlucky, wasn’t it?

It took far less time to return to the others than it did to find the Alien.

Stepping from the tree line it moved to the side, allowing the others to exit as well. Their passage already vanishing.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

As much as she tried to remain focused, it was hard for the counselor’s attention to stick to their mission. Her eyes landed on every centimeter of what they seemed to pass by. She mimicked her guide’s approach of avoiding stepping on anything, a difficult task with her urges to wander off and explore. Each time she managed to get a close look at a leaf or bloom, she found the moment moving too quickly.

“Is this not marvelous?” she whispered to the commander. Xiana doubted he’d share her amusement, but she couldn’t stay silent. “Look at how they move and those colors… they’re lovely.”

 

[milkmaiden38]

Ensign Cook
“Dark Fire, can you translate one of these passages now?” Ensign Cook asked, eyes scanning the ancient glyphs etched into the stone.

“There is a 96% probability this translation is accurate,” Dark Fire replied, its voice cool and mechanical.

“This hallowed ground witnessed a furious struggle in a climactic moment on Kilimday 2, 691,863, during the pivotal Battle of Sector K29384. Forces of the Luxans and Delvians launched a coordinated assault, shattering the Scarran blockade. After a ferocious clash, the Scarrans were forced to retreat. Here lies the wreckage of the Cletiel, flagship of the Scarran fleet. Preserved in place, it serves as both a tribute to the fallen and a solemn reminder of the cost of survival our societies must never forget.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1550

“I would remind you to remain cautious, Counselor.” Reeves whispered back softly. “Not everything with bright colors is safe. Even on earth some of the most attractive plants are toxic.”

“But yes, they are appealing to look at, from a certain point of view.”

***

Moving deeper into the ship the Marine used a flashlight to illuminate the passage as he passed doors with strange markings. Everything was dead, no power illuminated even a random touch pad.

Pausing at one hatch, a barely open sliding door led the way into more mystery and discovery. Grabbing it with both hands he shoved, straining as he tried to force metal to slide along metal. He wasn’t making any headway, so he illuminated the room beyond. From what he could see it looked like a barracks of some kind. Multi-level beds lay crashed against a wall, a silvery material draped in places. A blanket perhaps? The light pierced the darkness in a thick beam as it moved across the room. There wasn’t anything with color anywhere. Just the same black metal, except the silver blanket, even the markings looked carved into the walls and doors. Not painted or etched, but carved with a chisel or something.

Moving back to the hallway he continued onwards. He’d find an open door somewhere.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“Oh, will the day come that you’ll simply call something pretty?” she smiled. If given the chance (and assurance that they wouldn’t hurt anyone) she’d bring some of the flowers to her home in a heartbeat. She doubted they’d take too kindly to the sort of activity.

Encountering the others pulled her back to the real world. “Are any of you hurt?” Xiana asked, wondering if more wounds had happened. She stepped to the side. “I’d like you to meet Bitaan. They have greeted us here in Cavari 4 and guided us here. Please act accordingly to all beings we encounter.”

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“You’re not real chatty, are you?”

The bartender before him shrugged, wiping blue residue off a deserted glass. With his preocupations of the crew’s field trip tucked away and toys put back in the lab, Araiza was having a hard time killing, well, time. He couldn’t be around weaponry, couldn’t work from his quarters, and the Red Section seemed to get more personally hostile day by day. The staff of the cantinas in the higher levels took their jobs more seriously. They offered polite conversation and excellent service. And that was it. How boring.

The ice having diluted his untouched liquor, he moped on his stool, taking a look around the environment. All those present seemed occupied in conversation or opposed to new friends. Down below, something was always going on. Araiza disliked stillness with a passion. Silence, boredom, inactivity…. it drove him nuts.

 

[milkmaiden38]

Ensign Cook
Ensign Cook had encountered more species than she could count, so the bald being with bluish-white skin streaked in pale green didn't faze her. Experience dulled surprise—but never curiosity.

"Good to meet you, Bitaan," she said, smiling with professional warmth. "I've been enjoying the terrain on this side of your moon. Our computer just finished translating the inscription on your historic marker—fascinating stuff. Are you Luxan or Delvian, if you don’t mind me asking? And what can you tell us about the Scarran?"

Lt. Sol and Lt. Bumme
A burst of light flickered ahead—sharp and sudden. "That must be Gunnery Sergeant McPherson," Loka muttered, already in motion. Sol was right behind her, his clawed feet scrapping the deck as they hurried forward.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1600

“Yes,” Reeves replied stoically. Although he did raise an eyebrow when he looked at her before winking. “When on duty I focus on my work. Unlike others I don’t have the luxury of relaxing. Especially on a new planet with overly polite and conscientious aliens.”

Looking at the other aliens to their world Bitaan simply watched as aliens helped aliens. “I am a Delvian, and one of the caretakers of this place.” They replied. “Scarrans are an aggressive race descended from a reptilian ancestry. They seek to conquer and control all that is not theirs. They prefer a warmer climate and avoid cold ones.”

“That ship is Scarran in origin. Is was destroyed during the conflict and has remained there for the last hundred cycles.”

“The Scarrans have three classes, or subspecies, though I am not qualified to explain the differences of them.”

“Delvians look like me with varying degrees of coloration height and weight, and unlike mammals we don’t have a binary gender. We are able to choose which gender to assume when we reach our maturation. Although we remain neither our outer appearance alters.”

***

Coming to the end of the passage McPhereson approached an open entry. Barely large enough for him to pass through he had to remove some gear to squeeze through. Pulling his gear in with him he found another doorway torn open a hundred meters ahead. Looking inside he saw hundreds of fighter craft thrown around the room like a toddler having a tantrum. From what his flashlight was able to reveal there might not be any intact craft in the room.

This had to be a hanger bay, but how they launched was observable as yet. Probably got knocked around in the crash to the surface. Moving towards some of the craft he saw skeletal remains in one and performed a bioscan with his tricorder. Transmitting the data to Dark Fire he took detailed scans of the interior of the ship as well.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“May your blood pressure have mercy,” she muttered.

Hands behind her back, Xiana listened attentively to the answers of the being. Reptilian ancestry but a preference for warm environments sounded unique.

“Could you elaborate on that conflict you mentioned?” Her fantasy of paradise was short lived, seemingly.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“The Scarrans want to dominate everyone. The Delvians, Luxans, The Nebari and a few others resisted that event. The battle in orbit took several hours culminating in the destruction of a number of ships. Delvian and Luxan were the largest fleets as such they make up most of the debris field, but in their destruction, they crippled the Scarran ship Cletial, the flagship of the fleet.”

“Tens of thousands Delvians, Luxan, Minbari, and Nebari perished in the event.”

“The crippled Scarran ship succumbed to the gravity well of Cavari 4 and crashed. If it had succumbed to Cavari Prime it would have been crushed within the high gravity of the gas giant.” It said pointing at the gas giant in the sky.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

What a tragic tale. She hoped to never understand the desperation for power that made others feel the need to carry out such gruesome events. Xiana was, however, glad to hear of their victory, despite the size of it.

“And the Scarran, where are they now?” she asked. “And the Luxan, Minbari, and Nebari? Do any of them reside here as you do?”

 

[milkmaiden38]

Lt Sol and Lt Bumme

Lt Sol and Lt Bumme reached the door leading to the hanger bay. It was badly damaged and cracked open only a small amount.

“That is a little too small for me to get through.” Lt Sol said

“I’ll go in and get him” Lt Bumme offered.

She squeezed through the cracked and went into the hanger bay.

Lt Sol decided to explore a few of the passageways they had not taken. He came across a vertical ladder, which he climbed to reach a mechanical room associated with the hanger bay doors. There was an airlock to reach the exterior of the ship for maintenance activities. He opened the airlock and popped the exterior hatch. His big dinosaur head and shoulders emerged about 200 feet from the place they entered the ship and he was about 25 feet off the ground. He saw the commander, squad one, Ensign Cook and a tree looking creature.

“Commander, are you alright?” He asked as his free hand grabbed his phaser. The people on the ground could not see what his free hand was holding. “We found Gunnery Sergeant McPherson” He added

Lt Bumme

Loka was amazed at the different designs of the damaged fighter craft in the alien space ship hanger bay. But she stayed focus and getting to McPherson.

“Gunnery Sergeant McPherson, Lt Jovovich wants you back outside” Lt Bumme instructed the marine medic.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1615
​

“Everyone is still around, though the Scarrans took the biggest death toll. They weren’t expecting so many ships to rise against them in their blockade of this world.” The Delvian replied. “No, they do not reside here. Only a handful of my people are here. We are the caretakers of this world.”

When Lt. Sol stuck his head out The Delvian and Reeves both looked up. “Everything is fine down here, Lieutenant. I wasn’t aware the Gunnery Sergeant was lost.” Reeves commented.

“Reptile, but not Scarran. Another subspecies perhaps?” Bitaan said calmly.

***

Looking over at the Lieutenant the Gunnery Sergeant replied. “I’m not Starfleet, I’m M.A.C.O. So, I don’t fall under his authority.” Turning back to his scans he moved between ships. “I think some of these were warp capable, or something like it. This big ship certainly was, at least I haven’t seen anything to indicate it was a generational ship. Smaller in mass than Dark Fire, but longer and more slender.”

“Obviously a carrier with this many attack fighters. Most are single pilot, but some are fitted for dual capacity. Probably bombers or the equivalent.”

“The remains indicate a reptilian species of some sort. Bipedal. Two forearms. Singular cranium. Two eyes, in the front, not on the side, so a hunter.”​

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1615

Walking into the establishment Kavela was still groggy from hypersleep. She’d agreed to it cause she wasn’t really needed and she didn’t like ‘hanging’ out with the rest of her crew. Not that it would be appropriate anyways.

Wearing a simple outfit of form fitting black and red, she wore no insignia or department tags. She was off duty and planned to stay that way as long as possible.

Sitting at the bar she ordered food from the human menu and a drink to deal with the Hypersleep residue.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“How did you decide who was to take care of this location?” Xiana asked. The diplomacy aspects were growing more interesting by the second. “In fact, what were those allyships like? Did you all just mutually agree that you had to get rid of them, or did you have previous allyships, or did some trading? Do they still keep peace with your kind? Would they ever consider allyship with anyone else given enough time, such as us?”

She followed the two’s turn upwards. Quite a long distance. “Croco-Lamia. A fascinating species.”

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

Araiza would be a liar if he said he hadn’t notice the new figure enter the bar. He’d also be a liar if he said he wasn’t interested. He’d be an even bigger liar if he admit he wasn’t hesitant to start a conversation. He wasn’t quite sure where the woman belonged, given her lack of branding, but maybe he should take a step back from attempting to bed every attractive coworker, especially in his work spaces.

He’d take a step back tomorrow.

“You know, this place isn’t really my speed,” the man said as he slid into the seat beside the stranger, “but the appetizers here? Remarkable. Same taste of Earth without the greasiness.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1630

“I’m a groundskeeper. A tender of the land. I volunteered.” Bitaan replied. “As for who’s allied with whom, and how they arranged the assault, I don’t know. I know my people have agreements with others, but whom and for what goals, I don’t know.”

“As for if they would agree to ally with you, that would be up to individual species and governments, would it not?” The Alien replied, tilting it’s head slightly to the side.



****

With long hair hiding her ears and forehead, Kavela paused, her hand holding a glass of water to her lips as the Human slid into a seat next to her. The smell, color of his skin, and general build screamed Human. But it could be a changling.

Taking a sip she watched him through her bangs as he spoke to her. “I would assume the food is all replicated here. As such they can modify the output to have far less grease than on Earth, but maintain the flavor.” she said, ready to break his arm if he attacked her. Her voice was smooth, but sure of herself. Not aggressive, but not submissive either.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Would it be too much to ask for those that did know? Perhaps she was overstepping on the grounds of curiosity. “It would be, yes, but I assume there’s general perspectives for each species. Some might favor knowledge, or logic, or strength. It isn’t as simple as that, but it is a guide if anything.”

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

The man couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Was it that hard to not have a deconstructing conversation for once? “Well, I don’t really care how they make it. I just like it. All this to say, try the mushrooms.”

“I’m Araiza. I’ll be over there if you feel like chatting,” he said, motioning to a nearby booth with his head before taking his drink and leaving to the seat in question.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1635

“Yes, I would assume the same, but I’m just the groundskeeper. The individual that monitors the progress of the life on this planet.” The Alien shrugged.

“I don’t know anything about diplomacy or trade agreements. I leave that for those that deal with those things.”

***

“I didn’t say leave,” she said as he started to move away. “I’m Kavela. I’ve been in hypersleep for a while. I thinks it’s three years? Maybe longer. I need food. Drink. Sex. And sleep. While my body adapts and flushes the chemicals from my systems. That means I’m cranky and irritable. And I need food first. Everything else is optional, for it’s order.”

“And I’m not very talkative. Order the mushrooms and tell me why I should, or shouldn’t….” She left the rest unsaid and hanging in the air.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“Well, you’ve done an excellent job, at least to the naked eye,” Xiana smiled. She couldn’t be more in love with the plant life around her.

“But who might we speak with to obtain said information? Are they here as well or will they be soon?”

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

Hypersleep? Three years? “And here I complain about doctors telling me I gotta get eight hours of sleep,” Araiza huffed, slowly returning to the seat beside the woman. “Why’d you hibernate anyway?”

He motioned the bartender near them and placed an order for the mushrooms. Eccentric sight, but a delicious one. While waiting, he turned back to Kavela. “Why you should what? Eat mushrooms. I mean, they’re good. Not as fresh as on Earth, but they make due. Let’s see… they’re good for immunity, gut health, vitamin D… the portobello ones, anyway,” he grinned.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870606.1640

“No, they are not here. Nor will they be soon.” Bitaan replied. “We do not get supply ships. And we are few in number on this world. By choice. It gives us time and peace to meditate.”

“You would have to go to more populated place, like Yaren, perhaps to find what you seek. And No, I cannot go with you to show you the way. My place is here.”

***

“When I’m awake I seldom have time for sleep. And I… hibernate… to pass the time faster. And outlive people I’d rather avoid. Nothing says I hate you as much as sleeping until they’re dead.”

“Why should I sleep with you? Or would you prefer to stay awake and fuck?” Kavela asked, bluntly and to the point. “That is why you approached me isn’t it?”​