The Bellatrix II Conundrum

Posted on Sun Jan 5th, 2014 @ 7:59pm by Commander Jordan Gunning & Captain Liarra Von & Lieutenant Augustus Deakin & Captain Vahn Drayel & Lieutenant JG Allison Price

Mission: Fate of the Angels
Location: Commanding Officer's Office [Ops - Deck 12]
Timeline: MD01 - 1600hrs.

OOC: Figured it might be best to kick things off with a post giving us our orders.

OOC: Just adding in Scott's Marine NPC who'll be joining us.

[ON]

"Commander, I'm passing a communication across to you from the USS Telford, one of our Raven-class science garrison." Hastings said from the Strategic Operations roundel.

Gunning had been keeping an eye on the progress of Cadet Arion who was undergoing his initiation with such good humour that Gunning was considering sending him down to Deakin in Ops to ask him for a tin of Tartan Paint. "All right, Cadet. Keep monitoring that incoming traffic and key the course corrections into your console. Remember- the dockmaster has full responsibility, this is just a training run."

He worked his way around the roundel until he was fully inside it. He took his place at the primary Strategic Operations console and picked up the communication. "This is Gunning, go ahead."

"Commander, Lieutenant Benton here. We've been doing a planetary survey of Bellatrix II but our long range sensors have picked up a weak alloy signature coming from Bellatrix II."

Gunning stormed his brain for a moment, trying to work out where he had heard the name Bellatrix before. That was it! It was on the edge of the Delta Triangle, a volatile region that very few ships entered. "Are you in a position to check it out, Lieutenant?"

"Negative, Sir." Benton reported the confident tone of a single-minded scientist. "We're equipped for orbital survey only."

"Roger that, Lieutenant. Transmit your preliminary report and I'll take it to the Captain. Gunning out."

By the time the comm-channel had terminated, Gunning was already bounding toward the Captain's office. A ship on Bellatrix II- that sounded like a mystery and if there was one thing that Gunning enjoyed, it was a mystery.

Liarra handed a PADD back to Deakin. "That sounds good, Lieutenant. I'm sure O'Donnell would appreciate the allocation. Oh, and sorry again about that mix up. I didn't know about the transfer either."

Gus accepted the PADD and smirked, "I'm sure he would too, Skipper," he replied. The encounter with Lieutenant O'Donnell had been memorable to say the least; scuttlebutt had ensured that most of the crew knew about the first meeting between the two department heads. "And no worries about that mix up; I've had to deal with a whole lot worse in my time."

The captain's meeting with her chief operations officer was interrupted by the door chime. Sometimes interruptions were a nice change of pace; she hoped this was one of those times. Through the glass paneled doors stood Commander Gunning. "Do you mind, Lieutenant? Gunning almost always has something important."

"Not at all," Gus shook his head and leaned back in the chair, resting the PADD on his lap.

"Thanks." Von focused her attention to her office door. "Come in."

Gunning bustled into the office and muttered a quick, informal greeting to both parties. "Sorry to interrupt, Captain. I've just received a report from the USS Telford- our science scout at Bellatrix Three?- they've picked up a faint signal of a ship which seems to have crashed on the second planet in the system but they're not equipped to check it out."

"Any distress signals or life signs?"

"Not that they can detect, no." Jordan reported, realising that he was yet to read the report which had come through to his PADD. He had a quick glance. "All they've detected is a non-indigenous alloy but their sensors appear to have bounced it back as being a ship of some sort."

Liarra leaned back in her chair and considered the situation. It could be nothing, a wreckage from long ago that was just now detected, or it could be a recent ship that needed help. "It might be worth checking out. There might be survivors. If nothing else, it might be some scrap that we can salvage." She turned to look back at Deakin. "What do you say, Lieutenant? Feel like a field trip?"

Gus smiled at the Captain and nodded, "I wouldn't mind stretching my space legs a bit, sir."

"Alright then. Commander, take a small team to investigate the wreckage. Include Lt. Deakin, and take someone along from engineering. I'm sure Lt. O'Donnell won't like it, but he can spare one person."

"Shall do. I'll grab someone from Fox Company as well- wouldn't like to get caught in a trap." Jordan turned on his heel and stepped out of the office. "Deakin, you're with me."

The Ops Officer stood up and nodded to the Captain then followed Gunning out of the office. As he walked, he considered which of his jay-gees he'd tap to run things while he was gone. It would be a good opportunity for someone to step up.

As they reached the turbolift, the Commander tapped his comm badge. "Ensign Price and Fox Company Commander, please report to the USS Beyla."

Allie had managed to get away from O'Donnell for a few minutes. She was in her safe haven, the Jackal engine room. There she, was boss. Recalibrating regulators was far preferable to overseeing the running of new EPS conduits. She was interrupted from her calibrations by the page from Commander Gunning. It was hard to say what was going on, so she grabbed her tool kit and tapped her commbadge. "On my way, Commander."

Calloused fingers slapped across a weathered combadge. "Fox Company," a rough, whispered voice said. "on my way." The figure stood in the center of his barracks bathroom and stared into the wall-mounted mirror. He dropped the razor in the hot water and rubbed a towel across his freshly shaven face. The face was lined with puckered and angry scars, and across the thick, muscle-corded neck, a long scar ran from ear to ear. The broad-shouldered Marine quietly inspected his features before tossing the towel in the bin and grabbing his jacket. A brief stop off in the armory and he made his way to the docked ship.

As the turbolift whirred its way deep into the 'mushroom' of the station, Gunning turned to his new companion with enthusiasm. "This could be fun!"

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Gus said with a wide grin. "I wouldn't have given up the thrill of a station-wide cargo storage audit if I didn't think so. Which means if we don't find anything on this planet of yours, I hope you have some funny jokes to keep me entertained."

"Don't worry, Lieutenant." Gunning said quietly. "We'll find something."

[OFF]

Captain Liarra Von
Commanding Officer

Commander Jordan Gunning
Chief Strategic Operations Officer

Lieutenant Augustus Deakin
Chief Operations Officer

Marine Captain Vahn Drayel [NPC: Vendenje Kamdram]
Fox Company Commander

Ensign Allison Price [NPC: Liarra Von]
Engineering Officer