S12 - M4: The Delta Quadrant Vultures

[Kirok]

[Bridge]

"Aye sir." Alex replied, accessing the tactical station using an auxiliary console. Plotting the automated courses for two probes was easy enough, one set to orbit the planet and the other on a wide sweeping tour of the solar system. "Probes away." He cautioned, watching as the communication and data links almost instantaneously activated. "Lieutenant Reede, you should be receiving telemetry now."

As to the second point, Alex tapped his commbadge. "Tracha, this is Wu. Meet me in the main shuttlebay."=/\= Being such a small and compact ship, they only had four Type-9 shuttles at their disposal. If push came to shove, they'd be able to hold off anything smaller than a Romulan Warbird for several minutes.

[Bridge]

Kirok watched as Alex went to work.  He seemed to have a firm grasp on what he was doing.  Something that the half Vulcan could appreciate.

"Thank you, Mr. Wu" Kirok replied.  "I'm sure you will coordinate with the Bridge.  Ms. Tracha" he added before the pair departed.

[Turbolift]

After going over the work plan with Engineering, Nevir got back into the turbolift.  There were priorities set... first of all correcting the power systems so that a bypass won't cut off the ship.  Weapons and shields were secondary.  That right there made Nevir a bit uncomfortable, but it was necessary.  They could pull from the warp drive, but that would make the power systems stressed, and they would be sacrificing warp speed for defense.

He frowned as the doors opened and the bridge stood before him.  Shaking his head, he walked over and took the XO seat next to the Admiral.

"Engineering says at least 4 hours to get all power relays replaced and back online.  They already gotten about a hundred of them done so far." he said, looking out the screen.

"Do we have an update?"

[Bridge]

Before Kirok could answer, EQ's board chirped.  The Liberated Borg looked down at it.  And frowned.

"Sir, Incoming message from the planted below" EQ said.  "Should I put it on screen?  Or would you like to take it in your ready room?" Kimball asked.

[Kirok]

[Bridge]

Kirok watched as Alex went to work.  He seemed to have a firm grasp on what he was doing.  Something that the half Vulcan could appreciate.

"Thank you, Mr. Wu" Kirok replied.  "I'm sure you will coordinate with the Bridge.  Ms. Tracha" he added before the pair departed.

[Bridge]

Before Kirok could answer, EQ's board chirped.  The Liberated Borg looked down at it.  And frowned.

"Sir, Incoming message from the planted below" EQ said.  "Should I put it on screen?  Or would you like to take it in your ready room?" Kimball asked.

[Bridge]

"On screen, Mr. Kimball" Kirok said.  He stood and squared himself up with the main view screen.  Then he offered EQ a nod to indicate that he was ready.

The view screen came alive with an image.  The Liberated Borg had been correct in their description.  These aliens did seem to have feathers on their head.  But these aliens were no stranger to Star Fleet.

"Federation star ship, I am Geefix.  I'm the leader here.  We have detected you ship in our airspace.  I would like to invite you here for a meeting.  I'm sending coordinated and would like you to transport down" the Talaxian said.

[Kinley Garrison]

[Science Lab]

Awen watched as EQ finished up his work and nodded to him as he left. At least it seemed they would soon have access to the data they needed. Of course, some of the other scientists were able to continue working regardless - their work was stored locally and backed up to the main computer systems. Sensor data, however, came from the main systems and had to be shared with them.

Her eyes moved around the room, before returning to her department head, "It's unfortunate and...inconvenient that the gel packs were damaged, but it seems this Science Lab escaped more serious damage at least. Other parts of the ship weren't as lucky. I think I would feel better if we'd taken time to finish repairs before coming here though." The Bajoran did not like to be unprepared and having repairs still under way was not comforting.

Hearing EQ's voice, Awen nodded and let Kinley respond if she wished. She was in charge, after all. Thus far, Awen hadn't had much of a chance to get to know her, but perhaps that would change. She had read through Kinley's service record, which seemed fairly impressive for someone so young.

Awen moved over to the console she'd been working at before Kinley arrived and once again requested the sensor data for analysis. It took a little longer than she expected, but the information did come through. "Commander, we do seem to have access now, though the system seems slightly sluggish. I was going to start going through the data, unless there's something else you'd like me to work on or somewhere else I'm needed," she said.

Presumably Admiral Kirok would want at least one person from Science on the bridge in case some of the analysis was prudent to their mission or something came up. Or one could do that while the other kept an eye on the scans as they came in. Awen had also been hoping to start reviewing data from the journey for any interesting particle concentrations or potential anomalies, but that likely wasn't a top priority for now. Regardless, it would be up to Kinley as to what she worked on next.

OFF: Tag Kinley

[Science labs]
"Excellent. I don't have any assignments for you today. All we really need to do is help get the ship back up and running. Kinley said with a brief nod. "If you wanted to get some tests done, that's fine by me. I'm in no hurry with anything. In fact, I think I might head up to the bridge to update some of the consoles and scanners, if that's fine by you. We've got a lot of incoming data we'll need to analyze." Kinley said, with a grin. "Anyhow, I need to get out of the lab. McCullogh doesn't like me down there when he's doing some chemical analysis. And, to be honest, I'm just going to leave him be on that matter. He knows what he's doing a whole lot better than I do. I would just probably make it explode if I tried to meddle." Kinley joked.

[Tekin Nevir]

[Bridge]

"On screen, Mr. Kimball" Kirok said.  He stood and squared himself up with the main view screen.  Then he offered EQ a nod to indicate that he was ready.

The view screen came alive with an image.  The Liberated Borg had been correct in their description.  These aliens did seem to have feathers on their head.  But these aliens were no stranger to Star Fleet.

"Federation star ship, I am Geefix.  I'm the leader here.  We have detected you ship in our airspace.  I would like to invite you here for a meeting.  I'm sending coordinated and would like you to transport down" the Talaxian said.

[Bridge]

Nevir opened his mouth.. but he was honestly speechless.  He was expecting a hostile race, or at least a more... pragmatic species.  Certainly not the relatively peaceful Talaxians.  It also didn't help that they were inviting the Federation like old friends.

"We're not even that deep into the Delta Quadrant... and Voyager skipped a good chuck of the Quadrant between us and the Borg nexus... the Talaxians couldn't have gone this far, could they?"

[Kirok]

[Bridge]

"Geefix, I am Kirok.  Commanding Officer of this vessel.  I would be happy to accept your invitation.  I will transport down with a group of my crew shortly.  Until then" Kirok said and then signaled EQ to cut the transmission.

[Bridge]

Nevir opened his mouth.. but he was honestly speechless.  He was expecting a hostile race, or at least a more... pragmatic species.  Certainly not the relatively peaceful Talaxians.  It also didn't help that they were inviting the Federation like old friends.

"We're not even that deep into the Delta Quadrant... and Voyager skipped a good chuck of the Quadrant between us and the Borg nexus... the Talaxians couldn't have gone this far, could they?"

[Bridge]

"Voyager encountered a colony of Talaxians during their firth year here.  It is entirely possible that they have continued to migrate closer to the Alpha & Beta Quadrant since.  Their presence here does support such a conclusion" Kiork surmised.

"I plan to find out.  I'll leave the ship in your hands.  Mr. Wu has taken some shuttles out to protect the ship from any on comers.  And he has sent some probes to the far side of the planet to gather some additional information" Kiork said.

Then the tapped his combadge.  -/\-Kirok to Ms. Garrision, Ms. Fala, & Dr. Riverbank.  Please meet me in Transport 1.  Kirok out -/\- he said before ending the link.

[Fala Awen]

[Science Lab]

Awen glanced down at the console before her, making a few adjustments regarding how often the data in the lab synced with the main computer system. Running the synchronization again, the system seemed to retrieve the data a little faster. It wasn't ideal, but while repairs were still being completed the adjustment would help. The Bajoran glanced back towards Kinley as she spoke.

"Excellent. I don't have any assignments for you today. All we really need to do is help get the ship back up and running. Kinley said with a brief nod. "If you wanted to get some tests done, that's fine by me. I'm in no hurry with anything. In fact, I think I might head up to the bridge to update some of the consoles and scanners, if that's fine by you. We've got a lot of incoming data we'll need to analyze." Kinley said, with a grin. "Anyhow, I need to get out of the lab. McCullogh doesn't like me down there when he's doing some chemical analysis. And, to be honest, I'm just going to leave him be on that matter. He knows what he's doing a whole lot better than I do. I would just probably make it explode if I tried to meddle." Kinley joked.

"I can do that," Awen replied with a nod. "As head of the department, I believe it's your prerogative if you want to head to the bridge, Commander." Perhaps once Kinley completed the updates, that would also improve the connection speed. She could still run her tests as well. "Good luck, ma'am; if you need any assistance, let me know. And I think we've probably had enough explosions on the ship for awhile. I don't think Operations or Engineering would be very happy about additional repairs."

Thus far, she hadn't worked with the man Kinley had mentioned, though she had seen him around the labs. Awen could imagine that working with potentially dangerous chemicals was something one would need precision and care to do. It certainly wasn't her concentration, but she had a working knowledge of it regardless.

Awen nodded to Kinley before looking back at the screen. A planetary analysis would likely be useful... As she began setting up the parameters for the analysis, the Bajoran heard Admiral Kirok's voice.

Then the tapped his combadge.  -/\-Kirok to Ms. Garrision, Ms. Fala, & Dr. Riverbank.  Please meet me in Transport 1.  Kirok out -/\- he said before ending the link.

Raising an eyebrow, Awen looked up from her work and caught Kinley's eye. Apparently neither of them would be working on what they thought. Although Kirok hadn't specified it, she presumed the summons meant that they were going down to the planet. It would have been helpful to know their purpose so she could have prepared properly for the away mission...

"I'll gather up some supplies, then head to the Transporter Room, Commander. You don't need to wait for me, but I'll leave that up to you," Awen told her. Since Kinley was her superior, Awen left the acknowledgment to Kirok to her.

Awen took out a PADD and transferred the data they'd collected onto it. Theoretically they wouldn't need it, but it seemed wise to take it just in case. Moving to a shelf behind her, Awen picked out a small over the shoulder away case and sat it on a nearby table before opening it. She collected some sample containers, a basic testing kit, and a specialized scientific tricorder, then placed everything in the case along with the PADD.

After one more glance around the room, she nodded, satisfied that she had everything she could think of. Time to meet up with the others in the Transporter Room. Awen slipped the case's strap around her neck, adjusting the case so it was next to her opposite hip, before heading out of the science lab.

[Transporter Room 1]

After acquiring the rest of the standard away mission gear on her way, Awen arrived at the doors to Transporter Room 1. This would be her first official away mission as a member of the Discovery, so she hoped to make a good impression. She wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea of the Vorta coming with them, but there was nothing she could do about that.

The Bajoran stepped forward and moved into the room, nodding to the transporter operator, standing ready to beam them out. She moved off to the side so she was out of the way and waited for the others to show up.

OFF: Tag Kinley, away team

[LK Reede]

[Bridge]

"Probes away." He cautioned, watching as the communication and data links almost instantaneously activated. "Lieutenant Reede, you should be receiving telemetry now."

It was as if a veil had lifted on the small screen in front of her. LK was able to see much clearer and it did indeed appear to be humanoids. With feathers on their heads. When Captain Kirok answered the call from the planet, she frowned. Talaxians. They weren't hostile. But they were definitely scavengers.

"Geefix, I am Kirok.  Commanding Officer of this vessel.  I would be happy to accept your invitation.  I will transport down with a group of my crew shortly.  Until then" Kirok said and then signaled EQ to cut the transmission.

[Bridge]

"Voyager encountered a colony of Talaxians during their firth year here.  It is entirely possible that they have continued to migrate closer to the Alpha & Beta Quadrant since.  Their presence here does support such a conclusion" Kiork surmised.

"I plan to find out.  I'll leave the ship in your hands.  Mr. Wu has taken some shuttles out to protect the ship from any on comers.  And he has sent some probes to the far side of the planet to gather some additional information" Kiork said.

Then the tapped his combadge.  -/\-Kirok to Ms. Garrision, Ms. Fala, & Dr. Riverbank.  Please meet me in Transport 1.  Kirok out -/\- he said before ending the link.

"Captain, I'm picking up a large deposit of tritanium north of the city. Looks like a junk yard. Be careful down there."

[Tekin Nevir]

[Bridge]

"Geefix, I am Kirok.  Commanding Officer of this vessel.  I would be happy to accept your invitation.  I will transport down with a group of my crew shortly.  Until then" Kirok said and then signaled EQ to cut the transmission.

[Bridge]

"Voyager encountered a colony of Talaxians during their firth year here.  It is entirely possible that they have continued to migrate closer to the Alpha & Beta Quadrant since.  Their presence here does support such a conclusion" Kiork surmised.

"I plan to find out.  I'll leave the ship in your hands.  Mr. Wu has taken some shuttles out to protect the ship from any on comers.  And he has sent some probes to the far side of the planet to gather some additional information" Kiork said.

Then the tapped his combadge.  -/\-Kirok to Ms. Garrision, Ms. Fala, & Dr. Riverbank.  Please meet me in Transport 1.  Kirok out -/\- he said before ending the link.

[Bridge]

Starfleet regulations immediately popped into his head and he frowned for a moment.  It was one thing to question a Captain... but an Admiral?  Instead, Nevir sighed, nodding.

"Aye sir." was his only reply, as he moved from the right chair to the center Captain's chair.  He stared at the planet before him... something still felt off.

"Helm, put us in geosynchronous orbit over the settlement.  Reede, see what else you can find... I don't want any surprises."

[Demlion Riverbank V]

[sick bay]

The Vorta Starfleet Doctor tapped his comm badge to reply to the Admiral.  Aye I will be there, sir So Demlion grabbed a medical tricorder. Grabbed a medical kit with a hypospray, small scale scalpel, and a wound spray. The last Doctor records showed that rye crew on the Discovery are high.

[trasporter one room]

As he was walking in the Transporter room he had wondered who will be honored to go along with the Doctor. Lord knows he had all lot fans. It would be nice to see his good friend the Liberated Borg. But he realized you can't see your favorite person every day.

[Kirok]

It was as if a veil had lifted on the small screen in front of her. LK was able to see much clearer and it did indeed appear to be humanoids. With feathers on their heads. When Captain Kirok answered the call from the planet, she frowned. Talaxians. They weren't hostile. But they were definitely scavengers.

"Captain, I'm picking up a large deposit of tritanium north of the city. Looks like a junk yard. Be careful down there."

[Bridge]

"Thank you, Ms. Reede.  I will" Kirok replied.  "Mr. Black, you're with me" he half Vulcan added.  He offered Nevir a slight dip of his head.  Then he headed for the turbo lift.

[Christian Grix]

[Bridge]

"Thank you, Ms. Reede.  I will" Kirok replied.  "Mr. Black, you're with me" he half Vulcan added.  He offered Nevir a slight dip of his head.  Then he headed for the turbo lift.

[Bridge]

"Aye Sir" Black responded and walked around the console towards the turbolift "And Admiral or nor Sir, I wasn't going to let you go without me or a sec team". Black liked working with Vulcans as he knew they saw the logic in his statements where human or other races sometimes took offence from his direct approach.

He let a brief smile cross his lips as he followed Kirok as he thought of the reports made by Tuvok regarding the Tallaxian Neelix and looked forward to seeing if they all could frustrate an emotionless Vulcan.

[Kirok]

[Bridge]

"Aye Sir" Black responded and walked around the console towards the turbolift "And Admiral or nor Sir, I wasn't going to let you go without me or a sec team". Black liked working with Vulcans as he knew they saw the logic in his statements where human or other races sometimes took offence from his direct approach.

He let a brief smile cross his lips as he followed Kirok as he thought of the reports made by Tuvok regarding the Tallaxian Neelix and looked forward to seeing if they all could frustrate an emotionless Vulcan.

[Bridge]

Kirok had expected someone to object to him going down to the planet.  The UFP actually preferred to keep CO's on the ships.  Allowing the XOs and lower ranked officers to put themselves at risk.

But when it came to diplomatically oriented missions, the CO was often best suited and the most experienced when it came to negotiations.  And Kirok fit the bill in this case.   Still it was understandable the Chief Sec/Tac Officer wanting to assure the man's safety.

"That is agreeable, Mr. Black" Kirok replied.  He led Steven into the lift and allowed the door to close.  "When we have more time, we will have to catch up" he added.

[sick bay]

The Vorta Starfleet Doctor tapped his comm badge to reply to the Admiral.  Aye I will be there, sir So Demlion grabbed a medical tricorder. Grabbed a medical kit with a hypospray, small scale scalpel, and a wound spray. The last Doctor records showed that rye crew on the Discovery are high.

[trasporter one room]

As he was walking in the Transporter room he had wondered who will be honored to go along with the Doctor. Lord knows he had all lot fans. It would be nice to see his good friend the Liberated Borg. But he realized you can't see your favorite person every day.

[Transporter Room 1]

Kirok entered the room and found most of the team waiting.  "Dr. Riverbank.  Ms. Fala.   This is Steven Black" the half Vulcan said.

"I know this is an odd situation.  Rarely would I accept an invitation to beam down to a planet so quickly.  Especially to a group who are said to be stealing things from nearby planets" he added.

"But doing so gets us in front of the Talaxians much quicker than any other route.  So we may be able to resolve this matter quickly and efficiently.  Nonetheless, I would like you to on guard for any possible trouble" Kirok explained.

[Kirok]

[Bridge]

Starfleet regulations immediately popped into his head and he frowned for a moment.  It was one thing to question a Captain... but an Admiral?  Instead, Nevir sighed, nodding.

"Aye sir." was his only reply, as he moved from the right chair to the center Captain's chair.  He stared at the planet before him... something still felt off.

"Helm, put us in geosynchronous orbit over the settlement.  Reede, see what else you can find... I don't want any surprises."

[Bridge]

"Redistributing power.  Navigation and long range sensors should be ok now.  Awaiting further order" EQ said after tapping a few buttons.

[Lennox Ainsley]

[Bridge]

Certainly from what he observed, the plot only thickened. The Scotsman tilted his neck, trying to stretch out a kink that was forming as he continued to check the scanners. They weren't a hostile race, but apparently they were indeed scavengers.

"Ye need me te do anythin', commander?"

[Kirok]

[Transporter Room 1]

After the quick briefing, Kirok lead the team to the transporter pad.  "Five to beam down.  Proceed" he said to the transporter technician.