S2 M5: Old Wounds

[Kintiss]

Once she'd extracted the name of the compound from the sibilance, Jada made note of it. Solluk would know how well it could be incorporated into his design. 'Okay, thanks, doctor. But I was worried less about the Quickening and more about negative reactions in those with it. Do you have any other recommendations regarding subduing them if they're hostile?'

[Sickbay]

"Trouble issss, there'ssss all kindsss of ssstunning agentssss and paralyticsss," Kintiss noted. "Mossst of them are only good for individual ussse. Here in medical, we ussse Axonol on the more unruly patientsss. It'sss a fassst-acting anessthetic and can be dissspensssed asss a gassss."

He opened up another file on his terminal and turned it around to show Jada. "A mixture of Axonol, Neurozine and Anesssthizine can be quite potent. Feel free to raid our ssstoresss for them. We're replicating asss much medicine assss we can before we arrive."

[Jada]

[Sickbay]

Jada peered at the displayed compounds, then made a note on her PADD. 'Aha. Okay, thanks, Doctor.' She nodded to Kintiss, then turned on her heel and left.

[Engineering]

She made her way back down to Engineering and Solluk's office, wondering if her would-be lover had recovered from their last encounter yet... She realised she'd teased him mercilessly, but then again, he'd had it coming. 'Solluk? I have some recommendations from Kintiss. Most compounds should work, but he suggests sssstirium, ah, stirium oxide. He also proposes a mixture of axonol, neurozine and anaesthizine if we need something stronger. We can raid Medical's stores for the compounds.' she added, with an Orion piratical relish.

[Julia Rellek]

[Sickbay]

Kintiss was in the middle of examining a narrow metallic implement when Jada arrived. He placed it next to his terminal and put a hand to his chin.

"The Quickening isss quite resssissstant to outsssside agentssss," he replied. "That'sssss why we've not been able to find a cure. You sssshould be sssafe with mosssst compoundssss. I recommend Sssstirium Oxide for quick ressssultsss."

"Almossssst ready, Captain. We'll be with you sssshortly," In truth, Kintiss had no idea how long it was going to take for his team to finish up. Research and replication of non-electronic medical equipment was taking longer than expected. Hopefully, they'd have everything they needed by the time they established orbit. They would have to familiarise themselves with the tools on the planet's surface.

"Acknowledged Doctor. Please report to Transporter room three with Chie Jada and a security detachment."

"K'Lizh, hail them, I doubt we get an answer but it's worth a try." Julia said trying to gather information before she sent her people down.

[Solluk]

Engineering - Office

'Solluk? I have some recommendations from Kintiss. Most compounds should work, but he suggests sssstirium, ah, stirium oxide. He also proposes a mixture of axonol, neurozine and anaesthizine if we need something stronger. We can raid Medical's stores for the compounds.'

Solluk looked up from his desk, where he'd just been completing his design for the Tellarite based weapon system.  "Ah, perfect... we'll put stirium in the plasticene aerogel putty, I think.  More powerful compounds should probably be avoided as there is the possibility that targets may be hit more than once and we don't want an overdose."

Entering the additional parameters into his system, he completed the pattern with a flourish of his fingertips.  "Now we can replicate a few of these slug-throwers of yours, and test them on the holodeck against simulated targets.  Based on the joules-rating of the discharge force, I expect them to have a fair bit of recoil.  Learning to brace properly will probably be an issue.  Hopefully, we'll have time to get everyone on your team some practice before the away team is sent down."

He went over to his prototyping industrial replicator and activated the replication of a pair of the weapons.  "I'm taking a supply of the drug via site-to-site transport.  I hope that doesn't kill the thrill of raiding the medical stores."  He smirked at her.

In a shimmering field, the large Tellarite long-arms materialized, along with a supply of their prototype slugs.  Twenty shots for each weapon, to be loaded into under-barrel tubes in much the same way as shotgun shells.  The compressed-nitrogen reservoirs on the guns were pre-filled with liquid nitrogen by the replicator, ready to go.

"I'll replicate a pair of ahn-woon and bolas as well, and four of the rubber-shelled mechanically-timed concussion grenades we discussed earlier.  We can try everything and see what works best."   He could have had the holodeck simulate these weapons as well as the test environment, but these were prototypes and he didn't want to get anything wrong on the simulated specs.   Best to have real-world test results to analyze.

Finally, the shimmering was fully completed.  They had two long-arms, two ahn-woon, two bolas, and four grenades.

"Once we have data on performance, we'll refine the designs and replicate enough for an entire security team."

Little did he know, there would be no time for testing...

[James H. Hawk]

[Bridge]

Having being alerted of a distress call, James immediately headed for the Bridge wondering what had happened this time. Wouldn't it be great if Starfleet ever got a month off? There's always some crisis... he thought.

"Admiral?" He asked as he stepped onto the Bridge. It was still going to take a while to get used to calling her that. "Where am I needed?"

[Jada]

[Engineering, Office & Holodeck]

Jada had gone closely over Solluk's design, making a few tweaks here and there, mainly to adjust the sight, balance, and grip, as well as some cosmetic touches that seemed pointless yet somehow vital to Orion aesthetics. It was possibly the very first shotgun with go-faster stripes and fins.

"I'm taking a supply of the drug via site-to-site transport.  I hope that doesn't kill the thrill of raiding the medical stores."  He smirked at her.

Jada shrugged. 'Theft is no fun when you have permission.'

They had the prototype weapons, then...

"Acknowledged Doctor. Please report to Transporter room three with Chief Jada and a security detachment."=/\=

'I think that's me.' Jada tapped her commbadge.  'Acknowledged.'

She put the replicated weapons in a crate, deciding the current design would have to do. 'That'll have to do. This is an aid mission, we don't want to go down armed to the ears. Hopefully we'll never even have to use them.'

Done, she turned to face Solluk and raised a hand to touch his shoulder, saying with a smile 'And maybe you could have dinner ready when I get back?' Lugging the heavy crate with ease, Jada stepped out of the replication facility.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge]

Ian turned to face the captain once the ship was established in standard orbit.

"Ma'am, as it seems the medical preparations are well in hand, perhaps I should report to the transporter room to join the others."

As he waited for a response, he thought about the mission and the inevitable complications that would arise, but he was still pleased to be going on the away team, regardless of the potential for trouble.

"Half of bein' a captain is the ability ta think on your feet once things have dropped into the pot, and an away team is were things are more likely ta go wrong than anything shipboard."

[Klizh]

"Acknowledged Doctor. Please report to Transporter room three with Chie Jada and a security detachment."

"K'Lizh, hail them, I doubt we get an answer but it's worth a try." Julia said trying to gather information before she sent her people down.

"I've been sending the standard hails since we arrived in orbit, Captain. But no luck," he said. Despite his earlier joke, he had a bad feeling about this mission that he couldn't shake. He shouldn't have been so paranoid. Their track record wasn't all failures, and he was still receiving letters of thanks from clanmates back home for rescuing his cousin. But bio-weapons... those were nothing to sneeze at.

[Kintiss]

"Acknowledged Doctor. Please report to Transporter room three with Chie Jada and a security detachment."

[Sickbay]

"Undersssstood."=/\= Kintiss left his office and stood before his assembled medical staff. A bunch of them were carrying handfuls of archaic medical equipment, like hypodermic injectors, old-fashioned microscopes and blood testing kits. They were primitive tools, but at least they didn't produce as powerful EM fields as medical tricorders and hyposprays. This was going to be a test of his team's medical skill and patience. If they could handle using these barbaric implements, they could probably do anything.

"Let'ssss get all thissss packed up. We'll be transsssporting down sssshortly," he announced to the medical staff, and they began loading them into boxes for ease of transportation.

A moment later, a line of six medical crew, Kintiss included, filed through the corridors towards the turbolift. They planned to meet up with the security detail and Jada in the transporter room.

[Octavia Tarian]

Octavia was still a bit early to her first shift, which is exactly as she intended, she wasn't the kind to be late. She stood in the turbolift and straightened her uniform a final time. "Bridge," she commanded the lift, the doors closed, and when they opened again she was a step away from the bridge.  None of her breathing exercises prepared her for this. It was a buzz with activity, everyone was at their stations and she could see the planet they were orbiting. She didn't breathe until she was next to what would be her chair. "Octavia Tarian reporting for duty," She said, her voice level as she addressed the captain, they hadn't even met yet. Her hands were clasped behind her back, she felt a wave of doubt, worried that she may come across dorky.

[Naga Rylu]

[Science Bay, Deck C]

The Gorn woman sighed heavily, the microcomputer had taken far too long to deal with.  She tapped her Comm badge.   =/\=Admiral, this is Chief Naga Rylu.  Should I stay on board to run tests, or beam down with the team?  I could try to run simulations on a way to contain electromagnetic fields.

[Jada]

[Deck 6, Transporter Room]

Shortly after, a small Security detail comprising Chief Jada and two crewmen arrived in the Transporter Room. In view of the potential opposition on Teplanea, they were equipped with the two prototype stun slugthrowers, two Vulcan ahn-woon, two bolas, and four flashbang grenades, as well as tonfa-like police batons. While they waited, Jada instructed her team in the use of the shotgun-like compressed-nitrogen-propelled weapons, but also made it known she hoped they could stay in their packs, unused and not alarming non-hostile civilians. She also made it known they were still untested prototypes.

[Julia Rellek]

[Bridge]

Having being alerted of a distress call, James immediately headed for the Bridge wondering what had happened this time. Wouldn't it be great if Starfleet ever got a month off? There's always some crisis... he thought.

"Admiral?" He asked as he stepped onto the Bridge. It was still going to take a while to get used to calling her that. "Where am I needed?"

[Bridge]

"I think im going to join the away team, perhaps my background can be useful. I'll contact you once we reach the surface." She said as she stood up. "Commander Galloway, you're with me." She added as she headed towards the turbo lift.

Octavia was still a bit early to her first shift, which is exactly as she intended, she wasn't the kind to be late. She stood in the turbolift and straightened her uniform a final time. "Bridge," she commanded the lift, the doors closed, and when they opened again she was a step away from the bridge.  None of her breathing exercises prepared her for this. It was a buzz with activity, everyone was at their stations and she could see the planet they were orbiting. She didn't breathe until she was next to what would be her chair. "Octavia Tarian reporting for duty," She said, her voice level as she addressed the captain, they hadn't even met yet. Her hands were clasped behind her back, she felt a wave of doubt, worried that she may come across dorky.

"Ah Counselor, good to have you aboard. We are heading down to a planet where your expertise could be necessary. Why don't you join us on the away team." She asked.

[Transporter Room]

Julia stepped through the doors and into the transporter room. She noticed Jada and Kintiss already waiting. "You ready to do this." She said with a sense of excitement in her voice; it wasn't often that she got to join an away team. "I heard you needed a seasoned scientist?" She offered with a chuckle.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge]

"I think im going to join the away team, perhaps my background can be useful. I'll contact you once we reach the surface." She said as she stood up. "Commander Galloway, you're with me." She added as she headed towards the turbo lift.

"Ah Counselor, good to have you aboard. We are heading down to a planet where your expertise could be necessary. Why don't you join us on the away team." She asked.

[Transporter Room]

Julia stepped through the doors and into the transporter room. She noticed Jada and Kintiss already waiting. "You ready to do this." She said with a sense of excitement in her voice; it wasn't often that she got to join an away team. "I heard you needed a seasoned scientist?" She offered with a chuckle.

Ian was so stunned by the captain's announcement that he rode the turbolift with her and the new counselor in silence. It wasn't until they reached the transporter room that he found himself able to speak again.

"Ma'am, since Commander Hawk is on the bridge, I feel it is my duty ta remind you of the regulations regardin' Starfleet captains goin' on away missions. I don't even want ta think about all the regulations regardin' Starfleet admirals goin' on the initial beam in of an away mission. Perhaps, myself and the security team could transport first and then have you join us if the area is secure?"

[Julia Rellek]

Ian was so stunned by the captain's announcement that he rode the turbolift with her and the new counselor in silence. It wasn't until they reached the transporter room that he found himself able to speak again.

"Ma'am, since Commander Hawk is on the bridge, I feel it is my duty ta remind you of the regulations regardin' Starfleet captains goin' on away missions. I don't even want ta think about all the regulations regardin' Starfleet admirals goin' on the initial beam in of an away mission. Perhaps, myself and the security team could transport first and then have you join us if the area is secure?"

[Transporter Room]

Julia glared towards Ian but was understanding of his objections as her glare flickered to a smile. "Objection noted." She said as she stepped onto the transporter pad. Looking towards Kintiss. "Between James and myself only one of us are versed in xenobiology and research and scientific methodology. I think, given the choice, the good Doctor would rather have me." She turned towards the transporter control station. "Besides, why should he always get to have all of the fun. And should anything untoward occur... we have a great assistant Chief Flight Control officer thats been gunning for a promotion." She said with a chuckle, attempting to alleviate Ian's concerns.