Where Few Dared to Tread (Open to Any) (INCOMPLETE)

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Kosst Holana - Deck 1 - Bridge - Just beyond the Badlands]

The Kosst Holana dropped out warp within out-the-window visual range of the turbulent and churning plasma storm that dominated sectors of space like a massive storm that never abated: the area of space infamously known as The Badlands. The Kosst Holana's bow turned away from the storm and slowly maneuvered so its port side windows looked out into the many fold flashing and crashing and whirling of plasma. Even from its distance, the port-side of the Bajoran military scout craft turn civil freighter was alight in orange and red hues. With the long ago destruction of the Maquis, the Badlands had since resumed its role as a pirate and smuggler's crossing: where few dared to tread.

Captain to All Hands: on the port side window you can see a segment of the spatial body known as the Badlands, from this distance we are safe from the plasma storms and the gravitational anomalies; however, keep a hand free to brace yourself. Even from this distance, the gravity shifts can reach out and cause the ship to shudder. We should be here for at least a cycle or two, so enjoy the view as you can. However, we are at ready-status due to the travel advisories for this region of space, so be sure to keep in mind where your quarters or nearest seat is. Otherwise, enjoy yourselves.

Arrun had come to rendezvous with a fellow civil freighter coming out of the Badlands in the next couple days. Unlike most ships that made a stop near the Badlands, he actively posted his flight plan for any would-be merchants, scientists, or tourists looking to get close to the massive anomaly. For his trouble, he received quite a few offers for cargo runs deep into or beyond it: none of which were registered with any Federation trade authority. He did get a few passengers willing to venture so close to the storm for their various reasons, some with personal cargo that were their business -if not already put through security checks back at Deep Space Nine where he had last docked up. A fair number of passengers had sought to traverse the Badlands or were themselves couriers for messages best not left to sub-space; thus, Arrun had to spend a fair amount of time finding out a fellow civil ship captain who was far more ready to brave the storm than he was.

From his seat, out the front display of the bridge, he could see the pillars of fire that roared in the silent void their light: looking disturbingly akin to the descriptions of the fire caves on Bajor. He would not leave his seat for the next two days, since he would need to make maneuvers on a moment's notice if a pirate or smuggler didn't take his presence as a friendly one -if not an invitation to be raided himself. For all his unease, the tension of being so close to such inhospitable space, the suspect nature of his passengers and their business: he had his own reasons for being here that only his gunner Wist truly knew and only his Surgeon would truly understand.

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC T'Sarn

The Vulcan hybrid seated in the freighters small mess  area, feeling the ship drop out of warp wished she could look out some sort of viewport at the 'Badlands' but there were no windows in this section of the ship.  T'Sarn had 'purchased' herself a working passage on the freighter having heard that after the 'Badlands' that the vessel was headed to the Gamma Quadrant.

It had been several years since she had last been in the Gamma Quadrant - nearly seven as a matter of fact.  Seven years since the Tri-Ship attack.  Seven years since her life had been turned upside down.  She had done her studying and they would be returning and when they did.  She had to be there  and if the only way she could afford to do that was to work her passage there on a freighter, then that was the logical thing to do.

With the ships arrival at the 'Badlands' T'Sarn suspected she would be required on the bridge. To confirm this she called up to bridge.

"Permission to enter the bridge, Captain?"

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Kosst Holana - Bridge]

Arrun learned forward in his chair and pressed the azure comms button on his console at the front of the bridge.

Captain to T'Sarn, come on up.

"Anything, Wist?" he said as he waited for his working-passage crewman. Most passengers had the credits of latinum to afford trips on a small frieghter like Arrun's: especially since he worked for not-for-profit sense: providing people and crago a way to get where they needed to go but kept enough to upgrade the ship and maintain her while looking after his crew's needs. From time to time, he pushed for profit or for fair compensation for dangerous activity: but generally, Arrun was in no great need of monies, so long as he stayed close to Federation space. That said, some chose instead to invoke the long-worn tradition of working passage; generally, Arrun's crew was a hand-picked one that he knew personally: but, from time to time, especially with the abscence of Carnel, he would allow for temporary crew to augment his current crew. T'Sarn, unlike the rest of his standing crew, had to request permission to enter the bridge for example.

"Nothing yet, but we are early, Captain." Wist said her crimson red eyes gazing back at the rear of the bridge; ready to gaze upon the Vulcan when she arrived.

Without turning his head, Arrun continued to monitor his ship's status and his Gunnery Officer's status. "Be nice Wist, she's crew, even if only temporary."

"Yes, Captain." she said flatly.

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC T'Sarn
[Kosst Holana - Mess to Bridge]

Having received confirmation to head up, T'Sarn walked the short distance to the Bridge, where she met the red-eyed gaze of the ships gunnery specialist.   T'Sarn had been briefly introduced to the woman earlier in the day. Wist, she recalled was the woman's name.

T'Sarn studied the woman's eyes briefly but was unable to tell if the odd coloring was a genetic modification or contacts. It was certainly disturbing - not that T'Sarn showed any reaction.

"I felt the ship come out of warp.  Where can I help?"

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Kosst Holana - Bridge]

"Hello, Miss T'Sarn, excuse me for not getting up, need to keep an eye on the navigation computer." With his chair at front of the bridge, he had to raise his voice a little to make sure he was heard; though, with how long he'd been flying the Kosst Holana, it had become something he was used to. "You have felt correctly. We are at station keeping some distance away from the Badlands, as stated in the announcement. What I need from you is to enhance the lateral sensor array as best you can and perform a level 3 diagnostic on the ship-to-ship comms systems. Sooner the better. If you need extra hands just grab Car..." he stopped himself, she wasn't here. "...rather, you can grab Sonnen from the galley. He's not engineer, but he knows his way around a ship. Of course, be sure to keep Gaal apprised if you make any big changes: just so he can keep the EPS power balanced out."

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC T'Sarn
[Kosst Holana - Bridge]

T'Sarn listened to the set of orders given to her by the freighter captain.

"Yes, Captain. I will get started on those right away."

His suggestion that she would need assistance to complete the tasks she felt inclined to dismiss until she recalled that he requested the tasks done as soon as possible.

Moving to the auxiliary console, T'Sarn called up the comms and did a quick review of the comm systems before starting on the level 3 diagnostic of the ship to ship comms.   With a level 3 diagnostic, the comms where not interrupted, so that was fortunate, but it required manually testing each comm line independently - and there could be up to 20 individual lines on even a small vessel such as this.  Each with their own frequency, amplitude and ID marker code with matching scramble.  It was how calls to a specific ship were not picked up by others.

Before checking the ship to ship comms, T'Sarn needed to set a base line on comm signal strength for the internal first.  Opening an internal channel she sent a ping to Sonnen.   The ping provided her details as to the speed and relative strength of the comm line.  The signal strength was good.  It's speed was optimal.  Internal comms, or at least the primary were good.

Following the ping, T'Sarn messaged the cook.

"T'Sarn to Sonnier.  I have been requested to run a diagnostic on the ship-to-ship comms.   The Captain suggested I could enlist your assistance.  Are you available?"

[Arrun Dihsar]

NPC Vander Sonnier
[Kosst Holana - Deck 2 - -Kitchen]

Vander lifted a large pot up from the floor onto the oven, the brew inside burbling immediately as it was already fired up. The tall Sonnier crossed his arms and smiled at the succulent stew he was about to brew for tonight's meal. The kitchen chimed with a comms call, with the shrill urgency of a call from the bridge deck.

"T'Sarn to Sonnen.  I have been requested to run a diagnostic on the ship-to-ship comms.   The Captain suggested I could enlist your assistance.  Are you available?"

He sighed and turned the heat down low, he wanted to boil it up a bit longer: but, he got the feeling he was going to have to leave it on a simmer for a while. He then cross the room and pressed his thumb against the panel next to the kitchen door.

Sonner here, I got something simmering but I can free myself up on the Cap's account. What sorta help you need from me?

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC T'Sarn
[Kosst Holana - Bridge]

T'Sarn considered how best to make use of the cook's help without taking him away from his kitchen.

"If you could send out an off-ship communication from your location. A simple 'ping' will suffice as there is not likely a ship in the vicinity to contact.  I can check its' signal strength, and lag time while running the diagnostic from here at the same time."

As she suggested this she began setting up the diagnostic program.  After a moment she gave the cook the go-ahead.  "I'm ready here, Mr. Sonnier."

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Kosst Holana - Just beyond the Badlands]

As the diagnostic ping radiated out from the Bajoran vessel, the signal rippled invisibly across the sub-space layer with incredible speed. The near-emptiness of space slowly ebbed away at the strength of the signal that could cross light-years in seconds; as the signal reached out into the Badlands, the signal met the fierce interference of the might and power of all the energy that rushed and almost flowed all around. In all that chaos, an automated sub-space transceiver weakly pinged back.

NPC Vander Sonnier
[Kosst Holana - Kitchen]
Vander released his thumb from the contact that sent out the off-ship communication ping, then pressed the contact to bring the bridge-channel back on. Casually looking back to his pot to make sure it didn't boil over.

"There you have it T'Sarn, one ping and one ping only. You want me to send anouther one?"

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC T'Sarn
[Kosst Holana - Bridge](Just beyond the Badlands)

T'Sarn studied the results of the diagnostic displayed on the console.  The signal strength despite being pinged back weakly from the sub-space relay was a lot stronger than she'd have thought possible from a freighter - it was as powerful as a starship's comm system.

"No, thank you, that won't be necessary. At the moment, that will suffice.  The signal strength is above norm for the environment.  I'll call you again if I need more assistance"

T'Sarn then turned her attention to the lateral sensor array.  The Captain had asked her to enhance it.  Possibly because he suspected they would need the sensors for use in the Badlands.   The Vulcan engineer considered the various ways that enhancement might be accomplished.  The most common means of enhancement - at least in the Badlands - was through sound waves and the use of echolocation to navigate through the worst of the plasma storms and gravitational anomalies.  T'Sarn turned her attention to making such an enhancement possible with the Bajoran freighter.

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Kosst Holana - Bridge]

Arrun looked up at the view screen wondering at when his counterpart was coming to meet him, worried about the many dangers that awaited the unwary or the overly bold. He looked over his navigation console and saw nothing but the churning energy of the badlands and the excess radiation that licked out and away from the powerful stellar phenomena. He thought to ask after T'Sarn's work, but trusted her to her work and thought better to alarm Wist any more than she normally was.

On T'Sarn's console, after some manipulation of the freighter's sensors: an outline of a non-Starfleet light cruiser lingered deep within the storm, entangled in bands of plasma nearly tearing away at the outline as it seemed to dangle and gently twist in space.

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC T'Sarn
[Kosst Holana - Bridge](Just beyond the Badlands)

Making the enhancement to the lateral sensor array didn't take long but the boost that it provide was notable.  Within moments of the enhancement, T'Sarn picked up a sensor image on her console.  Working to fine tune the distorted readout, she called to the Captain.

"Captain Arrun!  There's a ship - it appears to be stuck deep within the storm.  Non-Starfleet in outline... light cruiser... perhaps it's the vessel you were waiting for?"

T'Sarn glanced over her shoulder towards the Captain and send her readings to his display.  "The plasma bands look to be tearing away at the hull, sir.  The ship won't last long in there, tossing about as she is."

The engineer focused back on the sensors... the echolocation enhancement could determine some things, but picking up bio-readings was not one of them.  At this distance they were basically blind to reading anything inside the ship. "At present, sensors are not strong enough to read if there are any bio-signs aboard.  She could be derelict... or fully manned."

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Kosst Holana - Bridge](Just beyond the Badlands)

Arrun looked over his shoulder and blinked in wonder at T'Sarn's words. "Pulling it up on my console now." He then turned back to his console and read over what she had found. No doubt about it, it was the SS Solar Pioneer: the very ship he was seeking to meet with a shipment of Orion borne goods he was waiting on; worst yet, it was also the ship that was going to take most of his passengers across the Badlands. "SS Solar Pioneer, that's the ship we're to meet. Wist, get shields up and divert as much power as you can. T'Sarn, send out an urgent message to Starfleet and alert them to the emergency. Tell them the Kosst Holana is preparing to effect rescue efforts." Arrun then pressed the azure comms-panel control on his console.

This is Captain Arrun to all hands: the SS Solar Pioneer is in distress within the edge of the Badlands and requires emergency assistance. We are notifying Starfleet of the situation but believe nearest aid will be too late before the ship is destroyed. I advise all passengers that you are free to board escape pods now and wait for pickup by Starfleet if we fail or the Kosst Holana should we succeed. If you wish to volunteer your skills please inform Mr. Sonnier and he will tell you where you need to be. If you wish to stay aboard, be advised this is a dangerous undertaking and you stay aboard at your own risk. Captain Out.

"That goes for your too T'Sarn. I could really use your help, but I cannot order you into a rescue effort under the working passenger contract. If you stay, you stay of your own free will. If you leave, then I hold no grudge."

Already he was plotting course for the ship and warming up the impulse engines and maneuvering thrusters for the journey in. He would be ready to move the moment all the pods were full up and launched away: every second counted in rescue efforts and he was about to effect a rescue with an outdated starship.

Another day in space.

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC T'Sarn
[Kosst Holana - Bridge](Just beyond the Badlands)

T'Sarn nodded her head towards the Captain at his words.  But in truth there was no consideration to be done.

"Being former Fleet, I couldn't in good conscience not lend a hand.  I volunteer.  Where do you need me Captain?"

[Arrun Dihsar]

[Kosst Holana - Bridge](Just beyond the Badlands)

"Very good," Arrun nodded and doubled checked his course a few times, thought he knew the chaos of the Badlands was going to make the trip more a touch-and-feel flight than hard flight plan calculations. "I need you where you are, double check all passengers are away in escape pods. Once the last passenger is off, we're going to be barreling into the storm to get into transporter range as fast as we can. Once we start movement, I'll need you to keep a close eye on the sensors and give me the bigger picture." Arrun checked his power levels one more time and smiled as he could only imagine how angry Gaal was going to be when he found out how hard he was going to push the engines once again. "My navigation sensors will tell me what's up close and I'll make minute adjustments: but I need to know the larger ebb and flow of the storm as whole. The Badlands are chaotic, but there are trends and signs of future trouble if you watch closely. Lastly, if you have any suggestions on course of action: don't hesitate to speak up. On a small ship like this, speed is more an issue than propriety and protocol."