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Garden Orbit

Posted on Fri Jan 15th, 2021 @ 3:39pm by Commodore Keiben Haistro & Commander Lillian Carter & Commander Peter Horn & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant Commander Junjie Han & Lieutenant JG Sher'ra Verona & Senior Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Stoun

1,625 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: Deck 1 - Main Bridge
Timeline: Mission Day 8 - 2300 Hours

ON:

From the helm Lieutenant Carter reported “We’re secured from warp speed and entering the Oriana Omega System at full impulse . We’ll be entering standard orbit of Oriana Omega Three in four minutes.... Mark”

Junjie stared at the view screen in disbelief, He was still having a hard time believing that the Captain had asked him to bring the ship into orbit around Oriana Omega Three. He was nervous and excited at the same time sitting in the Captains chair. " Acknowledged, Standard orbit in four minutes." He replied.

He stared at the growing planet on the view screen and let out a sharp breath. " It's beautiful. I understand why they call this the garden planet! This is what the Garden of Eden would have looked like gone wild."

There were lush green fields of wild flowers as far as the eye could see. Fertile forest, ancient with thick dark foliage with who knows what was waiting to be discovered under it. Blue pristine lakes in meadows with gently flowing streams feeding into them. In the distance beautiful majestic mountains with gentle rivers which had carved canyons over the countless millennia which led to rapids and waterfalls further down stream.

Further to the south, were rich humid sub tropical jungles with dense vegetation and possibly teeming with unknown animal life. Tropical paradise islands surrounded by crystal azure waters and warm white sandy beaches with the tide rolling in and out lapping at the shore line, As palm trees softly swayed in the breeze.

" Wow!! With a planet like this I may have to confine the botanist to the ship." Junjie joked. " Or we may never get then back!" He paused for a moment. " I would really love to hear other opinions of what we're looking at here. If I didn't know any better I'd say we stumbled on an new uninhabited planet instead of one that holds the ruins of an ancient empire."

Yelenda Sidorov manipulated the sensors from the Science Station, brushing Oriana Omega Three with the small ships impressive arsenal of sensor pallettes but something wasn't right.
"Sir, I am unable to run a detailed scan of the surface. Some form of scattering field is refracting the scans and causing a data feedback. All I can tell you for certain is this planet is rich with life and what look to be ancient structures cover at least thirty percent of the surface".

Lillian reported "Now entering standard orbit Sir."

" Acknowledged, Standard orbit." Junjie responded still looking at the view screen.

Mel was patched into the bridge feed from sick at. The planet looked lush and full of life. She kept starting at it in hopes that it might jog more with what her host was hiding.

“Nice try,”

She smiled so they were talking again. She kept checking her supplies waiting to see what orders were coming when.

Junjie clicked the intercom button on the command chair. Attention crew, We have achieved orbit around Oriana Omega Three. All away teams please make your final equipment and supply checks and prepare for departure orders. Bridge out.

"On my way Lieutenant" came the swift reply from the Captain.

Amalia looked up from her station, feeling a bit of excitement, she was here on the bridge and getting to see a planet from a different perspective.

Junjie stood and came to attention. " Captain on the bridge! "

Within moments Keiben was striding through the side entrance to the bridge, purpose and vigour for what was to come seeming to revitalise him. A huge art of that would have also been his reconciliation with Mel, but that stood no bearing on the bridge of a Starship.
"What have we got Lieutenant?"

Junjie vacated the Captains chair and stepped aside. " Sir we have achieved standard orbit around Oriana Omega Three, As expected the sensors are having trouble with full and accurate surface scans. All away teams are doing a final check on equipment and supplies and awaiting orders Captain."

"On the topic of away teams... We need an aerial survey completing... Ensign Carter, once we have this bird planet side how do you feel about taking the Earhart, our waverider shuttle for a spin?"
Keiben smiled his thanks at Lieutenant Jun before taking his seat.

Lillian smiled "Yes Sir!"

"Correct answer Ensign!" Keiben's lips cocking up in a lop sided smile. "All senior Officers report to the bridge!"

"Yes Captain," Mel answered. "On route." Mel exited the turbolift a minute later.

Peter yawned as he heard the summons. He quickly kissed his sleeping wife before getting dressed and hurrying to the bridge. He was still combing his fingers through his hair as he stepped onto the hub of activity. "Why the late call sir?" he asked, stifling another yawn.

Tamaska arrived, hiding a yawn, and carrying a mug of tea in a sipper cup, she didn't feel like spilling at this time. Her eyes brightened when it looked like they were getting ready for something big. "Morning."

Sher’ra stepped into the bridge and immediately walked Over to her station before addressing anyone. “Tactical ready Captain”

As Jon stepped onto the deck, noticed that orbiting procedures were already in starting, he had brought a PADD with him that was tied into main engineering. Everything looked nominal to him so far. Fortunately all of the precautions he had taken in getting the ship ready seemed to be working."

"Ensign Carter, if you would" Keiben announced, gripped the armrests a little tighter with excitment.

Lillian started praparing the ship for landing. "Aye sir. Making preparations for landing." With the initiation of landing procedures, Blue alert sounded. "The warp core is powering down and venting all plasma from the nacels. Atmospheric thrusters are on line. Helm ready for landing on your order Sir." Lillian finally reported.

“Well, this is new” Sher’ra commended. She’d never been on a ship that could land on a planet itself. “We’re sure there’s a breathable atmosphere down there right?”

He was finding it difficult to contain his own excitement but managed to keep his voice level and balanced but he could already sense his Counsellor was on to him. "Take us down Ensign!"

"Aye Sir. Initiating landing sequence." Lillian confirmed.

The tiny ship started to descend towards the planet's surface. Unlike the simulations that Lillian had been conducting, the ride was incredibly smooth.
Lillian kept a close eye on the readout and reported. "We're on the glide path. Entering the lower atmosphere. Preparing to release the inertial dampeners to local gravity. We're within visual range of the landing site."

The image on the viewscreen changed to show a flat open area near the base of some monutains with a forest stretching in the opposite direction.

Jon got a bit queezy, frankly he hated landing. "Engineering reports all fine sirs."

The Captain started to lean forward in his chair, spotting something on the horizon already, hidden in the forest at the base of the mountain opposite their landing site, the tell tale markings of structures hidden beneath the trees, further over a definitive structure on the coastline and carved into the maintain, was that some form of spiritual place, nothing about it spoke of technology... it had to be, or some kind of spiritual gathering place.
"Junjie I hope you have the sensors running already?"

" Yes Sir!! All sensors are running at maximum capacity to make up for the interference.. We are receiving good telemetry Captain."

Landing a ship wasn't something Peter had actually experienced before, and it felt a little unnerving. Unconsciously, he held his breath, as the tiny starship descended through the clouds.

Lillian let out a slow breath. So far, so good. "Extending landing struts. Confirmed down and locked. Touchdown on my mark in 5.... 4....."

Keiben snapped back to the present, his musings of the discoveries awaiting them forgotten as the memory of Ensign Carters landings came flooding back, and he was sure he was broadcasting. The other telepath on the bridge or receptive being like Mel would be seeing crash after crash after crash flash through their mind!

'She managed it in the end though! he added telepathically for Horn and Mel in particular.

"3..... 2..... 1..... Mark!!" There was a gentle bump as the ship landed.

Lillian smiled to herself. "Touchdown, the crowd goes wild.." She muttered before saying louder "Disengaging engines and securing thruster exhaust."

"Structural integrity nominal, power is fine." Chief looked over the PADD and scrolled for a moment. "Landing struts secure, looks like we picked a good spot."

"Ladies and gentleman, we have arrived" Keiben was beaming, he would be in the science lab for the rest of the night, this he already knew. "We will start sending away parties and the shuttle missions from zero nine hundred hours tomorrow... until then make sure you all get some rest!" noting the time. Had it really been necessary to call everyone to the bridge at this time of the evening?

The counselor leaned over. "It is alright to be excited sir," he whispered, "though I would recommend exerting some control over past bad landings. It was a little...unnerving."

He leaned in towards Peter a playful smile tugging at his lips, whispering his reply. "Honestly, given how she did in the holodeck I wasn't sure if we were going to survive!"

Mel wandered over to Lillian and popped her hand on her shoulder. "Well done," she told her knowing just how hard it was with a shuttle, a whole starship was something else. She had caught images of her prior attempts at the shuttle flow through her mind, assuming Keiben had been thinking about that.

Lillian looked up at her. "Thank's doctor."

OFF

 

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