Athena Mission 2.7: The Armor of Krem the Destroyer

[James Carter]

[Athena]

James nodded still totally silent. His mind was totally focused on the artifacts. It seemed like they were calling out to him. Perhaps that was just the effect art had on him. He really didn't know. But one thing was for sure, once he'd gotten them to the cargo bay, he'd be taking a better look at them.

[Secure Cargo Bay]

Few people were really allowed into the fortified room. You had to be cleared by either the Constance, or James. Carter, being one of the people actually capable of granting people access to the room was clearly allowed in. He'd granted the professor temporary credentials, but those took a short while to kick in, so for the time being James was alone with the artifacts. That's when he spotted one that seemed to have been undocumented, a helmet.

Carter grabbed the beautiful silver helmet on either side and observed it for a couple seconds. Quickly he looked at the manifest to try identifying it. The helmet was on the list, but it was easy to miss on the paperwork. Working fast he placed the helmet in a storage crate on the far side of the room making a mental note to have a look at it later. Just after he'd sealed the crate the door re-opened as Danger's credentials kicked in.

[Catrin Maddux]

[Athena - Mess Hall]

Catrin sat in a quiet corner of the Mess Hall absorbed in her own thoughts. She stared mournfully into a bowl sized cup of hot chocolate. Rainbow marshmallows drifted lazily like multicolored clouds in a chocolate colored sky. Leo had been called away on an extended assignment with no return date in sight and she found herself feeling listless lately. Not even her favorite comfort foods of cookies and hot cocoa lifted her spirits. She still performed her duties thoroughly, but she found no joy in them. Even Trip the therapeutic tribble seemed downtrodden. However his colleague Archer seemed unaffected, as cats were wont to do. Maybe this Cat ought to take a few lessons from another feline. She idly stirred her drink into a multicolored maelstrom.

[D'Vid]

[corridors]

The Engineering was restless as he was walking aimlessly. He had felt like a small little who wanted to sneak down to the tree to open those presents. He was very antsy. It was being impatient too.

=^=Petty Officer D'Vid to Commander Carter. Permission to view the subatomic singularity drive at the computer drive. Just want to be sure it's up and running'=^= he said. Truth was it was half truth and half lie. The lie it had not really needed to be done. It was a damn good excuse to be close to those artefacts. It's was like those prophecy stuff at the Delta worm hole entrance.

[Ashlynn Ren Morgaine]

[Shuttle]

"No complaints there, Captain. I'm going to push myself to the mess hall and plant myself there for a while with a cup of tea - iced." Ash stood from her seat and stretched, looking back at the artifacts once more. They were interesting, to be sure, but after her last experience with suspicious, quarantined items, she felt no need whatsoever to investigate... Well, maybe she was a little curious. But only a little. And not enough to meddle - no matter how pretty that armor was.

[USS Athena - Mess Hall]

Ash entered the room just as a Bajoran flight crewman was moving to leave. Although she might not have noticed if she hadn't nearly crashed into the man head-on. She looked up from her book and swerved at the last minute, bumping up against the wall and dropping her book. "I'm so sorry! I should have been paying better attention! You'd think I'd know better by this point..." She knelt down to grab her book as she continued to nervously ramble. "I'm not sure I've seen you before. I'm Ashlynn Morgaine, the mess hall manager on the Athena. And I promise I'm not always this clumsy." Okay, maybe that last bit was a tiny lie.

When the man eventually continued on his way, Ash turned and saw her cookie buddy sitting at their table in the corner of the hall. She flounced over to the table and plunked herself down next to Catrin with a wild smile on her sunburnt face. "Cat! I've brought you some- Ooh!! Cookies! Perfect!" Ash snagged one of the treats off of her friend's plate and continued to speak in a rather unladylike fashion with a mouth full of crumbs. "Like I was saying. I've got a thing for you. Here." She pulled out a jar of sand and set it on the table with an enthusiastic thunk that rattled the hot chocolate. "I may or may not have inadvertently stolen soil samples from the planet... In my hair... But it's a really pretty color, and I know how much you like pretty colors." She glanced down at her cocoa to emphasize her point.

"Also. I know you've been kinda down and out lately, so I thought this might help." Ash set the book she had been carrying earlier onto the table with a reverent pat on the cover. Treasure Island. "It was one of my favorites as a kid, and I thought you'd enjoy reminiscing about our pirate adventures with it at the very least - but if pirates aren't your thing, we could always head back to my quarters and pick something else out! The right book can solve anything." At least it always seemed to work for Ash. She gave Cat a hopeful smile as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Bridge, Athena]

When he arrived on the bridge, Arrun walked over to the helm touched the shoulder of the officer he was relieving. With nothing critical going on yet and the ship currently maintaining orbit; Arrun had little to worry about. So when he sat and took to the controls, all he had to do was monitor their orbital path and monitor for any navigation hazards. As he did so, he thought about the mess hall manager he nearly ran over. He barely said two words to her, if any, before hurrying off to his post; he knew he was getting touchy and he needed to calm down; but, as he heard many times in his order, the Prophets worked through busy hands not idle ones. Then again, he had just earned yet another person he owed an apology to. Perhaps the Prophets wanted him to interact with the crew humbly. "Or I could just be being rude to people who clearly don't deserve it." He muttered to himself and he shook his head in disapproval at himself.

Doing his best to hide his fatigue and frustration, Arrun looked back to Lt. Venator, "Lieutenant, Helm reports stable orbit and no navigational anomalies at this time."

[Susan Venator]

[Bridge, Athena]

When he arrived on the bridge, Arrun walked over to the helm touched the shoulder of the officer he was relieving. With nothing critical going on yet and the ship currently maintaining orbit; Arrun had little to worry about. So when he sat and took to the controls, all he had to do was monitor their orbital path and monitor for any navigation hazards. As he did so, he thought about the mess hall manager he nearly ran over. He barely said two words to her, if any, before hurrying off to his post; he knew he was getting touchy and he needed to calm down; but, as he heard many times in his order, the Prophets worked through busy hands not idle ones. Then again, he had just earned yet another person he owed an apology to. Perhaps the Prophets wanted him to interact with the crew humbly. "Or I could just be being rude to people who clearly don't deserve it." He muttered to himself and he shook his head in disapproval at himself.

Doing his best to hide his fatigue and frustration, Arrun looked back to Lt. Venator, "Lieutenant, Helm reports stable orbit and no navigational anomalies at this time."

Bridge

Suzie nodded as the new helm officer took over.

"Thank you Ensign. Please maintain current orbit, but keep an eye on the sensors. We picked up some anomalous gravity readings earlier and they could pose a risk." She replied.

[Constance Lafayette]

[Athena- Shuttle Bay]

"I may have to get a cup of that myself Ms. Morgaine." Constance said in her slow, police, concise, voice before offering the mess hall manager a little smile and excusing herself.

"Mr. D'Vid. Could you please report to the secured cargo bay? I want to ensure that the containment fields and environmental regulators for the artifacts are working correctly." Constance asked, strowing with her normal hurried, direct, stalking walk down the halls as she headed towards the turbolift.

Once she was on the bridge she made herself known,
"Ms. Venator. Thank you for holding down the bridge."

Turning to Arrun Dihsar she nodded, "Once we've finished onboarding, please set a course for Outpost B2, Warp 4." She said casually, remaining standing rather than sitting down. This was a simple transport mission- no reason to strain the engines. They'd be there in a few days and the equipment they were testing out as part of their next assignment wouldn't be ready for a week.

[Prof. Danger]

Danger walked with James, helping carry some of the cargo from the ship. Despite his old age he was fit as a fiddle and had no problem hefting the artifacts. Once his credentials had been verified the door opened and he stood, holding a double-headed axe wrapped in some kind of canvas or paper and bound with string.

"James! There you are! I was about to ask one of these fine young officers to accompany me to the mess hall." He said gregariously as he placed the axe down in one of the containment fields where it was secured. A mousy, attractive, Betazoid woman in skant-attire was making eyes at him.

"I can't see why a strapping officer like yourself couldn't be added to the party!"

[Susan Venator]

[Athena- Shuttle Bay]

"I may have to get a cup of that myself Ms. Morgaine." Constance said in her slow, police, concise, voice before offering the mess hall manager a little smile and excusing herself.

"Mr. D'Vid. Could you please report to the secured cargo bay? I want to ensure that the containment fields and environmental regulators for the artifacts are working correctly." Constance asked, strowing with her normal hurried, direct, stalking walk down the halls as she headed towards the turbolift.

Once she was on the bridge she made herself known,
"Ms. Venator. Thank you for holding down the bridge."

Turning to Arrun Dihsar she nodded, "Once we've finished onboarding, please set a course for Outpost B2, Warp 4." She said casually, remaining standing rather than sitting down. This was a simple transport mission- no reason to strain the engines. They'd be there in a few days and the equipment they were testing out as part of their next assignment wouldn't be ready for a week.

Bridge

Suzie nodded.

"Captain." She said, acknowledging the handover before taking up her post at Ops.

She did a quick rundown of all the primary systems before readying the ship to leave orbit. She then checked the status of the shuttles.

"All shuttles are aboard Captain and all systems are operating within specified parameters. We are ready to depart on your order." She reported.

[Constance Lafayette]

[Athena- Bridge]

"Fantastic Ms. Venator. Looks like we managed to transport everything up from the surface before the storm hit." She said, her eyes flicking up like she was trying to remember something as she accessed her implant. It still bothered her and the memories of the Borg haunted her now and then but she suppressed them- there was work to do.

"I wouldn't want to be down there..." She thought to herself before being seated. A small display on the main screen showed the planetary storm ripping across the surface of the world and she marveled at nature's wrath.

"Take us out when you are ready Mr. Arrun."

[Caleb Brighton]

[ Shuttle Bay ]

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. Once they had landed safely, Caleb squeezed his lover's hand. They excused themselves so that they could change in their quarters and have bit of alone time. As they walked, they enjoyed one another's company.

[ Caleb and Katheryn`s Quarters]

When Caleb opened the door to their quarters, Buddy immediately booked it to the door to greet them. With a proud meow he began to rub up against Caleb and Katheryn as they entered. "Hey there Buddy! We sure missed you,"Caleb said reaching down to pick up Buddy and place him in his arms. As Caleb petted Buddy,he purred loudly. He smiled as Katheryn petted him. "You get your shower first. I see that we have a message. I will watch it and let you know what it says," He said. Katheryn walked off and he sat down with buddy in his hand. As he petted him, he grabbed the nearest remote to watch the latest video message.

Cal sat back and saw a familiar face. Makayla, Jenna's sister, looked deep in thought before she began to speak. "This message is for Doctor Caleb Brighton and his fiance Katheryn Carter,"Makayla began. She flicked a strand of her purple dyed hair out of her face before she began to speak again. The greeting was too formal even for her standards. "I wish you were there when I tried to call, but I guess you were with a patient. First of all Mom and Dad miss you. They said to ask you when your next shore leave was so they could meet Katheryn." Caleb watched uneasily as he say Makayla try to formulate what she wanted to say. "I guess I could come out and say it. Caleb, you uncle wants to meet you. He tried to reach out to mom and dad seeing if they knew how to reach you. They answered him and told him you were on duty and would pass the message along.  I am going on my own to see if he really is who he says he is. If he is your uncle I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you meet him. You know I love you and so does mom a dad. To me you are always my brother, but I think you need to meet your blood family," She said.

[James Carter]

[Prof. Danger]

Danger walked with James, helping carry some of the cargo from the ship. Despite his old age he was fit as a fiddle and had no problem hefting the artifacts. Once his credentials had been verified the door opened and he stood, holding a double-headed axe wrapped in some kind of canvas or paper and bound with string.

"James! There you are! I was about to ask one of these fine young officers to accompany me to the mess hall." He said gregariously as he placed the axe down in one of the containment fields where it was secured. A mousy, attractive, Betazoid woman in skant-attire was making eyes at him.

"I can't see why a strapping officer like yourself couldn't be added to the party!"

[Secure Cargo Bay]

James thought about the offer for a moment and then thought about the opportunity he had been afforded. He offered a quick look at the Betazoid and then back to Danger. "I'm going to have to pass. Besides I've already got my eyes set on someone, better not tempt the fates 'ey?" It didn't really matter if the statement was true or not, all that mattered was getting Danger off his back. "But give my fullest regards to the mess hall manager."

[Arrun Dihsar]

Bridge
"Thank you Ensign. Please maintain current orbit, but keep an eye on the sensors. We picked up some anomalous gravity readings earlier and they could pose a risk." She replied.

Helm, Bridge
"Yes, Lieutenant." Arrun said as he followed her order, performing his own cursory analysis of the navigational data on his console. "I believe I see it, will keep an eye on it, Lieutenant." He then made a marker in his navigation display to highlight the area in their orbital path, it did not look too much trouble; and the computer didn't record a large variance, but it was a variance and that was all that was required to make it worth keeping an eye on. It was never good of a pilot to underestimate possible navigational hazards.

[Athena- Bridge]
"I wouldn't want to be down there..." She thought to herself before being seated. A small display on the main screen showed the planetary storm ripping across the surface of the world and she marveled at nature's wrath.

"Take us out when you are ready Mr. Arrun."

Helm, Bridge
When the Captain arrived, Arrun stiffened a bit in his chair. His shifts usually didn't involve being at the helm when the Rear Admiral was present; thankfully she was behind him and he could focus on her orders. "Yes Captain, bringing us out of orbit now." The gravity variance was close enough to pull at the ship a bit harder than the rest of the planet had, however, given he had been warned in advance, Arrun was able to adjust for it with a bit more thrust to sheer away. He needed to thank Lt. Venator later for the advance notice; even if it was her duty, it had made his duty that much easier that she had done so. "Adjusting for gravity variance on the way out and now escaping orbit, Captain."

[Athena- Shuttle Bay]
Turning to Arrun Dihsar she nodded, "Once we've finished onboarding, please set a course for Outpost B2, Warp 4." She said casually, remaining standing rather than sitting down. This was a simple transport mission- no reason to strain the engines. They'd be there in a few days and the equipment they were testing out as part of their next assignment wouldn't be ready for a week.

Helm, Bridge
As the ship pulled away from the planet's pull, Arrun continued to keep a close ear on the Captain's words. "Yes, Captain." Was all he said as he waited for the last shuttles to board securely in the ship's shuttlebay. That done, he began calculating a warp course for Outpost B2 at a speed of warp 4. "Warp course set for Outpost B2 at speed of warp  4. Standing by, Captain."

Arrun still felt tense and stiff, his voice sounding just a hint strained, but his mind was focused on the task at hand. Though, he felt a little more relaxed with a plotted warp course in the computer and ready to engage.

[Athena- Bridge]
"Take us out when you are ready Mr. Arrun."

Helm, Bridge
"Yes Captain, engaging on your order." He then entered the final commands to set the ship to warp to Outpost B4 and engaged.

[Katheryn Brighton]

[ Shuttle Bay ]

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. Once they had landed safely, Caleb squeezed his lover's hand. They excused themselves so that they could change in their quarters and have bit of alone time. As they walked, they enjoyed one another's company.

[ Caleb and Katheryn`s Quarters]

When Caleb opened the door to their quarters, Buddy immediately booked it to the door to greet them. With a proud meow he began to rub up against Caleb and Katheryn as they entered. "Hey there Buddy! We sure missed you,"Caleb said reaching down to pick up Buddy and place him in his arms. As Caleb petted Buddy,he purred loudly. He smiled as Katheryn petted him. "You get your shower first. I see that we have a message. I will watch it and let you know what it says," He said. Katheryn walked off and he sat down with buddy in his hand. As he petted him, he grabbed the nearest remote to watch the latest video message.

Cal sat back and saw a familiar face. Makayla, Jenna's sister, looked deep in thought before she began to speak. "This message is for Doctor Caleb Brighton and his fiance Katheryn Carter,"Makayla began. She flicked a strand of her purple dyed hair out of her face before she began to speak again. The greeting was too formal even for her standards. "I wish you were there when I tried to call, but I guess you were with a patient. First of all Mom and Dad miss you. They said to ask you when your next shore leave was so they could meet Katheryn." Caleb watched uneasily as he say Makayla try to formulate what she wanted to say. "I guess I could come out and say it. Caleb, you uncle wants to meet you. He tried to reach out to mom and dad seeing if they knew how to reach you. They answered him and told him you were on duty and would pass the message along.  I am going on my own to see if he really is who he says he is. If he is your uncle I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you meet him. You know I love you and so does mom a dad. To me you are always my brother, but I think you need to meet your blood family," She said.

[Shuttle Bay]

A quick smile in Caleb's direction as she felt him squeeze her hand before they were out of the shuttle and heading for the turbolift. Enjoying the sweet serenity of being on their own without the need to worry about anything other than making the most of each other's company yet abiding by protocol saving any romantic notions apart from holding hands until they reached the sanctuary of their shared quarters.

[Caleb & Katheryn's Quarters]

Katheryn had never been so happy to see their quarters or Buddy their Russian Blue kitten as he bounded over to them and purred lovingly against their legs before Caleb picked him up. He was definitely well loved and a source of comfort if either one of them was on a different shift time or even when they were curled up together on the sofa. " We did but we're home now " she said as she took her turn to pet him before looking at Caleb as he suggested her taking a shower first whilst he dealt with the message that was waiting for them.

" Okay my love sounds like a plan " she said kissing him lightly then gave Buddy one last scratch behind his ear before leaving them to go to the bathroom.

Once inside she didn't waste any time removing her uniform leaving a small amount of sand on the floor and wasn't overly surprised at that as she then reached over and turned the shower on. Stepping underneath the refreshingly cool water she made the most of it although part of her had been hoping that Caleb would join her. Then again he was dealing with the message and a clingy kitten so when she was finished she got out and dried herself quickly.

Opting for a vest top and shorts she put them on then plaited her hair before going back out to join Caleb and see what the message was. " I'm all done if you want to go get your shower " she said as she approached him then noticed the look upon his face " Cal is everything okay? what was the message about?" she asked her voice full of concern as she then sat down beside him.

[Constance Lafayette]

[Time Jump ~4 Hours]
[Athena- Captain's Personal Quarters]
Constance spent almost no time in her quarters and they were about are sparse and spare as her nearly empty ready room. Just the basics- uniforms, a PADD or two neatly stacked, some toiletries, and handful of old-fashioned books on a shelf, and an old violin case in one corner. She was awoken from her sleep by a priority message.

"Admiral, I'm sorry to wake you." Came the voice of an ops officer on duty,
"Not at all Ensign. What is it?" She said, her voice tinged with a little regret and the lethargy that sleep brings.
"Of course M'am. We've been getting odd readings in the secured bay. We sent a crewman down to check on it and... well they haven't reported back. When we sent a team in there the artifacts are all gone and there is no sign of the crewman."

Constance's brain came online fully, processing the information like a shot of coffee.
"Understood. Please wake the command staff. Quarantine the cargo bay. I will be to the bridge in just a moment."

[Elsewhere...]

A helmet slid onto a head...

An axe slipped into a sleeping man's hand...

A cloak tied itself around someone's neck...

A pair of bracers locked on a pair of wrist...

A breastplate secured itself around a torso...

A book slid under an arm, cozy and malevolent...

A shield affixed itself to someone's arm...

[Susan Venator]

[Time Jump ~4 Hours]
[Athena- Captain's Personal Quarters]
Constance spent almost no time in her quarters and they were about are sparse and spare as her nearly empty ready room. Just the basics- uniforms, a PADD or two neatly stacked, some toiletries, and handful of old-fashioned books on a shelf, and an old violin case in one corner. She was awoken from her sleep by a priority message.

"Admiral, I'm sorry to wake you." Came the voice of an ops officer on duty,
"Not at all Ensign. What is it?" She said, her voice tinged with a little regret and the lethargy that sleep brings.
"Of course M'am. We've been getting odd readings in the secured bay. We sent a crewman down to check on it and... well they haven't reported back. When we sent a team in there the artifacts are all gone and there is no sign of the crewman."

Constance's brain came online fully, processing the information like a shot of coffee.
"Understood. Please wake the command staff. Quarantine the cargo bay. I will be to the bridge in just a moment."

[Elsewhere...]

A helmet slid onto a head...

An axe slipped into a sleeping man's hand...

A cloak tied itself around someone's neck...

A pair of bracers locked on a pair of wrist...

A breastplate secured itself around a torso...

A book slid under an arm, cozy and malevolent...

A shield affixed itself to someone's arm...

Susan Venators Quaters

Suzie had been meditating in her quarters before getting some sleep when the alert came. Dressing quickly, she put her hair up and headed to the Bridge.

Bridge

Suzie arrived on the Bridge and took over from the duty Ops officer, who looked at her with some relief. He briefed her on what had happened and she soon began running extensive internal scans to see if she could locate the missing artefacts.