Rheuys Awaits!
Posted on Sun Nov 3rd, 2024 @ 1:09am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Captain Koko Kaga & Lieutenant Commander Chrirhc Chihc & Commander Ichika Misono & Commander Victor Delling MD & Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa & Lieutenant Ami Rori & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Crewman Recruit Yoshiko Tsushima 'Yohane' & Crewman Recruit Hanamaru Kunikida 'Maru'
1,570 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Captains and Contraband
Location: Rheuys system - Sector 813
The Starships Myogi and Kaga dropped out of warp in the Rheuys system. With the system serving as the capital of the Federal Rheuysian Republic, the presence of the Rheuysian Self Defense Force- the Republic's military- was at its highest concentration, and the two Starfleet ships maneuvered among their Rheuysian counterparts coming and going as they made their way towards Rheuys.
Rheuys itself was also a sight to behold: The planet's northern and southern hemispheres were almost completely white, with the only prominent geographical features being the "reclaimed cities", which appeared as ugly warts on the otherwise white surface. Rheuys' equatorial region, on the other hand, was a green and blue belt that wrapped all the way around the planet: The only naturally habitable remnants of what were once vast oceans and mighty continents.
Maho stood on the Myogi's bridge. She had been keeping an eye on the Ops station, as Ops had their hands full with verifying their identity to the Rheuysian SDF. Though, evidently, they were doing their job well if they had made it all the way to Rheuys orbit without being fired upon.
“What happened here?” Jane wondered aloud as they approached. The horrible looking planet was a sight to behold, and fear.
"That, my dear pilot, is what happens when a species on the brink of extinction by climate change following three centuries of capitalism attempts an unproven method of terraforming in an act of self-preservation." Chrirhc calmly explained. "Instead of allowing nature to take them, the Rheuysians brought themselves to the brink of extinction by their own hand. Whether that be the terraforming experiment itself or the destructive civil war that followed. It's nothing short of a miracle that such a barbaric people became so well-disciplined."
Kurumi couldn't help but stare. "So they basically destroyed their own world out of selfishness?"
"More or less." Chrirhc said. "But, then again, is that not the ultimate fate to befall all capitalist societies?"
"Sad, but all too true," Commander Anzai lamented. "In my time on the Zodiac, we saw situations such as these arise far too often. Some of them we were able to resolve peacefully, and others..." she shook her head and sighed. "Let's just say we were limited within the constraints of the Prime Directive."
Victor recalled the history of humanity he'd learned when he was in the Academy and he kept his thoughts to himself. His own people were none too kind to their planet or their people. It was...one of the terrible truths of the universe.
"We have to go down there?" Kurumi gulped. "It looks like a mess! Not to mention hard on the lungs..."
"Only if you're planning on going backpacking in the frozen wastelands, Commander." Keisuke commented. "If you stick to the equator, it's a lot like Europe on Earth: Temperate, if a little cold in the wintertime. Then there's the reclaimed cities, which closely replicate their regions' pre-freeze climates."
"Incoming transmission from the surface, zura," Petty Officer Kunikida reported from her seat at the Ops console.
"Put it through:" Maho ordered.
The main viewscreen switched to display the face of a bespectacled member of the Kaiser's staff. Koko's face appeared smaller in the corner, indicating that both ships were being jointly hailed.
"Captain Takahashi, Captain Kaga:" The staffer said. "The Kaiser has requested the two of you speak to a special session of Congress to lay out the evidence Starfleet has of the allegations."
Maho and Koko both nodded.
"What I have already told the Kaiser is all I know of the allegations." Koko said. "Seeing as it was Captain Takahashi's crew that retrieved the information that brought the allegations to light, I believe she would be more of use to your legislature."
Maho nodded again.
"I shall have Commander Chihc compile the information that Lieutenant Amaro recovered and accompany me to the surface, along with Commander Anzai." She said.
"Me, Captain?" Commander Anzai remarked, evidently surprised that she was being selected for the away team and not a higher-ranking member of the Command Staff such as Ichika or Keisuke.
"You were the one who processed the information that Lieutenants Sinclair and Amaro brought back." Maho explained. "It's only fitting that you be the one to present it to the Rheuysians."
The Kaiser's staffer nodded.
"I shall inform the Kaiser: We'll be expecting you in 30 minutes."
"Understood, Myogi out." Maho responded, terminating the connection and turning to Chrirhc. "You heard her: You have thirty minutes to compile the information and meet me and Commander Anzai in transporter room one."
"Aye, Captain." Chrirhc nodded, taking his leave.
"Captain," Jane said as she turned around in her seat to face Maho. "Request permission to join the away team. I was on the expedition that recovered the intel." She was careful not to use the term mission or away team, both of which implied sanction. "I saw the deep, dark bowels of that command centre and what was inside. I'm sure I can offer insight to the Rheuysians."
"Permission granted." Maho responded. "Be at transporter room one in 30 minutes."
"Yes, ma'am," Jane answered. She signaled for Takumi to come relieve her. She would go and prepare when he arrived.
Ami opened her mouth to volunteer, then closed it again. She was interested in seeing what was going on down there, then nodded to herself, "If the Rheuysians question the veracity of the intelligence, it may be useful for an engineer to accompany theme to show them that it hasn't been tampered with. Technical support, Captain."
"Very well," Maho responded. "Transporter room one, thirty minutes."
Kurumi walked over to the Captain. "Captain." She said simply. "I'm going down with you. As chief of Security it's my duty to keep you safe. However, I would also like to point out that you should really be staying on the ship... your condition and all..."
"She has a point, Captain," Ichika agreed. "Perhaps it would be a wiser idea to send Commander Takahashi or I in your stead?"
Maho sighed and turned to Ops.
"Ops, contact the Kaiser again, please." She ordered.
Petty Officer Kunikida nodded before proceeding to open a channel.
The Kaiser's staffer appeared on the main viewscreen again.
"Is something wrong, Myogi?" She asked.
"There's been a change of plan:" Maho said. "Tell the Kaiser that Commander Takahashi will be speaking on my behalf."
Wordlessly, the Kaiser's staffer nodded before terminating the connection again.
Maho then turned to Keisuke.
"You think you can handle it, babe?"
"Heh, of course I can handle it." Keisuke said, tapping his combadge. =A="Attention all away team members, please be present in transporter room one in the next half hour. If you're not there, we beam down without you. Takahashi out."=A=
As Keisuke took his leave of the bridge along with Commander Anzai, Maho turned to Kurumi.
"So, Commander; are you still going down?"
"Protocol states that a security officer should be present on all away teams." Kurumi answered simply. "So yes, I'm going down there too." She proceeded to follow Keisuke off the bridge.
"You will take one of my medical staff with you, I do not care which doctor, but it won't be me." he sighed gently knowing that his duty to his crew trumped his desire to go on the away team.
"Better start prepping transporter room two, then." Maho ordered. "Any more signups and we'll need it."
[30 Minutes Later, Transporter Room One]
Together with Commander Anzai, Keisuke arrived in Transporter Room One to find Commander Chihc already present and waiting:
"Within thirty minutes as planned, Commander:" Chrirhc reported, silently taking note of the away team lead change.
"Exceptional, Commander:" Keisuke responded. "Let's hope everyone else who is coming got the memo."
Kurumi arrived, a phaser attached to her belt along with a tricorder. She was clearly ready for anything as she quietly approached the group.
Jane was there next, her uniform pristine, a tricorder and Type-2 phaser both on her person. "Ready, Commander."
Keisuke watched the chronometer on the wall of the transporter room as it clicked over to precisely 30 minutes on from when the order to convene was given. Ops had reported that Transporter Room Two was hot, and the away team members that hadn't convened yet would need to be rerouted there:
"Then let us be off:" Keisuke declared, moving towards the transporter pad. =A="Takahashi to Rori and Delling:"=A= Keisuke tapped his combadge. =A="Commander Delling, whoever in medical you decide to send, have them report to transporter room two for beam down. Lieutenant Rori, same goes for you. Takahashi out."=A=
Once the away team had taken their places on the transporter pad, Keisuke nodded to the transporter operator.
"Energize." He ordered.
That Bluenette operating the transporter controls grinned devilishly and input the commands into her terminal with her signature dramatic flair. An audible sigh could be heard emanating from Commander Anzai as the five of them disappeared in a shimmer of light.
Posting by
Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer
Commander Ichika Misono
Executive Officer
Commander Victor Delling
Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Commander Chrirhc Chihc
Chief Intelligence Officer
Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
Lieutenant Ami Rori
Chief Engineer
Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer
Crewman Recruit Hanamaru Kunikida
Operations Officer
Crewman Recruit Yoshiko Tsushima
Operations Officer
Captain Koko Kaga
Commanding Officer
USS Kaga
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