Oh Villanueva, Villanueva we are here

Posted on 24 Jan 2020 @ 4:03pm by Commander Amelia Fox & Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Mitchell Graham & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Lieutenant Commander True Keading & Lieutenant JG Rosaline Belikov & Ensign Gwen Leighton

Mission: Mission 3 - Whom gods destroy ...
Location: Villanueva
Timeline: MD1 14:00
1807 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

They had been traveling for a couple of weeks now and Jon was pretty fed up of seeing the starfield whizzing by. He was happy when his helmsman announced they were coming out of warp.

"Slowing to one-quarter impulse," Graham said as the star field on the viewscreen returned to familiar pinpricks of light. "Destination off the bow. Vectoring for standard orbit."

Long range scans had indicated these coordinates were a system with a class L planet. A very big class L planet. Reynolds knew that meant they could breathe down there but there was a lack of animal life. He wasn't prepared for just how ridiculously big this planet was though as they came to a stop and front viewer showed the Goliath for the first time.

"Wow that is big," Jon said breaking the silence as the rest of the crew seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Amelia leaned close to Jon. "J'Tan only said it was ancient and very destructive. Whatever it is they made a lot or only a few but they were massive."

“Captain, I recommend going to yellow alert as a precaution” Rose suggested.

Jon nodded at Belikov. "Make it so."

Rose nodded to Gwen, indicating for her to change the alert levels

True wrapped her arms a little more tightly around herself as she sat to the Captain's left. She had no explanation for it but upon seeing the planet she'd felt a cold wash over her.

Jon turned to Aidan. "Is that one for record books," he asked?

Aidan stared at the screen, before tearing his eyes away to look at his readings. "Oh definitely sir," he breathed, blinking a few times. "definitely one for the books." He bit his lower lip. "Too bad L-class never has any life. The things we could learn..."

"Life that we know about," True corrected him absentmindedly while staring at the screen.

Hawkins didn't have anything to say at first, stunned at seeing a planet so big. Could this be a planet for giants? He frowned as his read his scans then rechecked them.

" I am unable to get definitive reading about what is there and then not there, Captain. The instruments at one moment say there are lifeforms on the surface, then it reads that there isn't anything there. " Once more looking at his screen and the scans.

"Sir, we're receiving a communication," Gwen cut in, "It appears to be coming from the planet."

"On screen," Amelia ordered.

Jon leaned forward slightly as the viewer filled with staticky image recording which looked to have degraded over time.
He could make out a humanoid type alien but nothing that looked familiar. "Can we clean that up at all?"

"I will see what I can do, Captain."Michael replied as he made more adjustments. "I am afraid sir that there isn't anything else I can do.The image recording itself has degraded though the transmission isn't too bad." as he looked at the screen, " for a recording what seems to be a millenia old."

"Whoever you are welcome to Villanueva. And if you have come here, you are obviously looking for superior weapons to use against the dark scourge. Lock on to my coordinates and come on down. Lets see if we can cut a good price, no reasonable offer will be refused …." The being did what Jon assumed was a salesman's killer watt smile.

The part betazoid captain signalled to Hawkins to cut the transmission. "Well that was … unexpected …. thoughts everyone?"

Amelia spoke up "It reminds me of something the Enterprise encountered on the planet Minos. An automated salesman for weapons systems. unfortunately, they made it so good that it killed the entire population of the planet and destroyed the USS Drake and the Enterprise almost met the same fate." She glanced back to tactical. "Is there any indication of anything still working down there or anything in orbit?"

"Echos of those that used to live here. Still, it doesn't bode that well." True responded.

"I'm not entirely sure I would trust the scans we're getting back," Gwen said, "But there may be. It depends on the what tech we're dealing with."

Graham studied his console display with curious interest. "Normally with a celestial object this big I would have to plot precise thruster burns to hold our position against the gravimetric pull. But I'm getting a transponder signal from down there that's...uh...suggesting them for me. All I have to do is plug them into the helm, so to speak. Unclear whether they're automated or being transmitted by someone, sir."

“Perhaps a more direct conversation may be of benefit. A small away team could be sent to make contact” Rose suggested, remembering the file she had read on the Enterprise’s similar incident.

"Plug them in Lieutenant Graham, get the computer to do it and make your life easy," Jon nodded. "We are not going anywhere at present … and yes. Fox, take Lieutenant Belikov and Datari with you. I want to know what they have down there. If they are a current organisation or this is some old ancient recording. I sense life but that planet is so vast to anything I have ever been in the vicinity of I'm as confused as the sensors."

handing over the tactical station, Rose made her way over to the turbo lift and waited for the others.

Amelia acknowledged the Captain before standing and walking up the ramp to the rear turbolift doors. She was half expecting the Captain to want to lead this away mission himself and her having to remind him that his place was on the bridge. "Belikov, Datari you're with me."

Aidan paled visibly at the idea of being part of an away mission. After last experience, he didn't really feel like taking the risk.

"Lieutenant Belikov, take Ensign Leighton with you. Time for a proper field trip I feel."

Rose nodded, "alright, come on ensign."

Gwen inwardly clapped with glee, "Aye." She said with a wide grin. There was nothing wrong with showing her eagerness to explore.

"Mitchell as you have a fairly nice job at present with the planet calculating for you come take Foxes seat for a bit and let one of the ensigns get some bridge experience," Jon ordered. He saw something in Mitchell and wondered if he needed encouraging to take the command course and have more bridge responsibility.

The corner of Graham's lip twisted into a barely contained smile. "Aye, captain." He pushed his console away and stood up. "If the lady doesn't mind?" He said to Fox as he helped himself to her chair.

"Keep it warm for me," Fox smirked, "And I want it back." She headed for the turbolift and the doors opened but paused as the comm. system beeped again.

Tag Hawkins -"Captain we are receiving a transmission from something in orbit above the planet." working to find where the transmission is coming from.

"On screen," Jon said.

An ugly alien appeared on the viewscreen and sneered at Jon. "What are you doing here Starfleet? This is our planet. It belongs to the Son'a. You have no claims here."

Jon reasoned he was the Cetea going by how he looked. "What are your claims on Villanueva? Are you a salesman as your live welcome message is not as good as your automated pitch if that's the case. As far as Starfleet's concerned the Son'a have no claim here either."

"Know this Starfleet anyone coming down to the surface will be killed,"

"Its a big planet. Good luck policing the entirety of it," Jon responded back to the empty threat.

"Our threat is far from empty you fool ……"

Jon motioned to cut the audio as he could sense this was going to be a long monolog. "Fox be careful but try to get one if possible for questioning if they do attack you."

Fox had stepped back towards the raised horseshoe railing and replied, "I doubt they will come back willingly sir but ….." she trailed off noticing that the figure on screen was staring at her intensely.

Jon looked back and noticed the same. He gave Amelia the smallest of smiles and indicated to switch back to the audio.

Jon laid back and said "Can you repeat that please. I lost you there for a minute."

The alien ignored him and continued to stare in Amelia's direction.

Amelia shivered inwardly at the unusual look the alien was giving her. "I believe our captain asked a question. It's customary to answer," she said confused.

"I believe I was having a rant about us killing you and eating your flesh but I apologise,"

Jon exchanged a confused look with both Michell and Keading. The Captain then tried to add some diplomacy, it was worth a shot after all.

"Our away team will be coming down to the surface would you be willing to open a dialogue with them?" he asked.

The alien folded his arms and ignored the question.

Jon shot Amelia another look. He was more convinced than ever that this group was something to do with the other creepy alien who seemed to like his XO.

Amelia repeated his words and this time they seemed to up the politeness. "Of course, we look forward to the away team and them receiving our hospitality. We will transmit our coordinates." The screen went blank.

Jon said to the entire bridge, "this planet gets weirder and weirder. See what you can find away team. Thoughts everyone else?"

True shrugged, there wasn't anything conclusive to say, she didn't like any of this but she was sure no one else did either and if they didn't investigate they weren't going to know anything.

"Keep a transporter lock on the away team," Graham suggested. "I don't trust these guys any further than I can throw them, and scan the system for signs of more ships."

Michael nodded in affirmation, "Aye sir." Already having the transporter lock on the away team.

OFF:

●● Lieutenant Amelia Fox
Executive Officer
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant True Keading
Chief Counselor
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer/2nd Officer
USS Andromeda

●●● Captain Jonathan Reynolds
Captain
USS Andromeda

● Ensign Michael Hawkins
Chief Operations Officer
USS Andromeda

○● Lieutenant JG Rosaline Belikov
Intelligence Officer
USS Andromeda

●● Lieutenant Mitchell Graham
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Andromeda

○● Lieutenant JG Lilura Karakalakss
Chief Engineer
USS Andromeda

● Ensign Gwen Leighton
Apprentice Chief Security / Tactical Officer
USS Andromeda