Check In #3

Posted on Mon May 17th, 2010 @ 11:29pm by Captain Benjamin Byrne & Lieutenant JG Nessa Jenarian & Provisional Lieutenant Commander Narayn Ballard

Mission: Metronian Diplomacy
Location: Delta Flyer (Arktina Territory) & USS Endeavour (En-Route to Obrinkhan Imperium)
Timeline: MD25 0800hrs

As Benjamin walked onto the bridge, a fresh uniform donned and a PADD with the reports the away team had sent through the night in his hand, he wondered whether they would get much information to go on before they reached their destination.

They had been informed of the names of the two races - the Arktina and the Obrinkhan - in the very first status report the team had sent, and had also been given coordinates to the nearest Obrinkhan Imperium strongworld. Any more than that, it seemed was impossible to get before they had more data. They needed background information to be able to put things into context, to understand fully what the Arktina were ready to explain to them. They needed time to work up conversion protocols to account for the vast differences in the computer systems and stellar chart data between the Federation-built Delta Flyer runabout and the Arktina ships. Byrne had ordered the team sleep through their third report, which had been due at 4 this morning, and hoped that with the hours since midnight and fresh, awake minds, they would now have some proper intelligence to transmit to him.

"Receiving the away team's hail, Commander," Stott reported from Ops.

"On screen," Benjamin responded, sitting in his chair at the centre of the bridge.

"Flyer to Endeavour." Buzzed Ballard's voice over the comm system. "Sorry, Endeavour. We're having a few problems with the Flyer's communication system penetrating the hull of the Arktina vessel. Give me a second and I should be able to get you visual."

The bridge of the Endeavour heard several muffled comments and blips coming over the comm system along with a pronounced buzzing. "O...kay, should have you... now." The Chief proclaimed as the viewscreen of the Sovereign class vessel filled with the rear compartment of the Delta Flyer shuttle. "Sorry about that Commander."

"Signal getting harder to send over long distances, Chief?" Byrne asked, noting at the back of his mind the slight flickering of the screen.

"It's far from ideal, sir. It seems that whatever alloy the vessel is constructed out of is interfering with our signal. If we were outside the hull, things would probably be a fair bit less crackly. Still, you take what you can get I suppose." He answered. "The interference is frustrating as it's messing our sensors around too but our hosts are thoroughly charming, which takes the edge off a bit."

"Their shielding systems are also rather unique," Kinu (NPC) added from the station she was working at in the background of the shot. "From what I can tell, it doesn't actually provide any additional protection than our own shields do, but their configuration is certainly different."

"Have you been able to interface the Flyer's systems with their Stellar Cartography data?" Benjamin asked, directing his question towards Ensign Jenarian.

"It took a bit of work to correctly connect the systems as they are far from compatible, but we managed in the end and have downloaded the information as the Arktina know it. Or so they claim anyway." she answered, punching in a few commands on her console, already anticipating what the captain would request next.

"Send over what you've managed to get so far," Ben responded. He really hated flying blind like this. The only data they had on the region was what they had so far picked up on long-range sensors, and that wasn't much.

"Initiating transfer, sir." she murmured with a slight grin on her features before clearing her throat and focusing her gaze on the data transfer currently in progress. It would take a bit, considering the link was not of the highest quality, but it would get to its destination soon enough.

"Chief, do we have anything yet that you can tell me about these two races? Twelve hours of background information for context surely has to have helped by now."

"The access level I've been granted has been quite broad, Commander. However I'm detecting a hint of held-back information. From what I can gather the Arktina are absolutely staunch in their belief that the Obrinkhans have occupied their sacred land. Every report and text that I can find suggests that this system is their sovereign territory and they have no right to be here." He paused as he dragged up a couple of further files. "It's interesting to note that they don't seem to have any record of the Obrinkhans before twenty years ago. To them it's as if they came out of nowhere."

"Much like we did..." Byrne murmured to himself. He fully expected the away team's access to be limited - afterall, they were an unknown group of people who suddenly came out of nowhere offering to help? If Ben had been the Arktina General, he'd have been sceptical too. "Have you managed to get any case files together? General behavioural traits, past attempts at diplomacy or past conflicts?"

"We've got a little bit of information so far. They've had a few skirmishes, a scattering of people and small support vessels lost here and there. All attempts at diplomacy seem to be quite one-sided. From the information I have, I don't envy you trying to establish communications with the Obrinkhans."

"Do you have any files on potential big hitters we should be looking out for? Specific individuals we should either contact or avoid?"

"No specifics, unfortunately Commander." The Intelligence officer replied. "There is a name which consistently crops up throughout all the accounts though. Idithid. He seems to be a general in the Obrinkhan navy."

"Send over whatever you have on him," Benjamin replied, reaching up to rub at the headache he had felt growing throughout the morning. "Anything else to add?"

"Aside from my good tidings, sir? Nothing." The Chief replied.

"I've been examining their weapons technology," Kinu said, as she came to stand infront of the comm station for the first time during the transmission. "It's fascinating how they've developed differently in this galaxy from our own, yet the basic principles remain the same. Their equivalent of phaser banks are roughly of equal power to our own - but the systems are very large, and operate through some means different to ours - they won't let me get a close enough look at them to find out how exactly, but from what I can gather they use some sort of crystal to form a reaction with the energy from the ship, which then goes through tunnelling mirrors - very high density to protect them - and out to the firing cannons on the hull-"

"Very interesting I'm sure, Lieutenant," Byrne said, holding up his hand as he cut in. "Anything that will help us if we do come into a confrontation?"

Slightly annoyed at having been cut-off mid-explanation, the Bajoran nevertheless answered the question. "The result of their different systems for firing the weapons mean that their ships are large through necessity. Without the size of their ships, they wouldn't be able to mount weapons of the same strength as ours. If this runabout was Arktina or Obrinkahn-built," she paused as she indicated the ship around her. "Then her weapons systems would be about a tenth as powerful."

"Let's hope it's information we don't have to use," Byrne said, before nodding to the away team. "Good work, keep it up. We'll hear from you again in another four hours."

--------------------
Commander Benjamin J. Byrne
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Kinu Au'Beck (NPC)
Chief Engineer
Played by: Byrne

Ensign Nessa Jenarian
Chief Science Officer

&

Chief Narayn Ballard
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Endeavour NCC-86105