The Gathering

Posted on Tue Nov 8th, 2022 @ 4:22am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla'ren & Lieutenant Chester "Duo" Maxwell & Lieutenant JG Blake Leone & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Ensign Kitiuas Thenis & Commodore S'thenosis Gorgox & Lieutenant Thomas Haldeman & Lieutenant Alison Haldeman & Chief Warrant Officer Josette Mackenzie
Edited on on Tue Nov 8th, 2022 @ 4:22am

Mission: Planet of the Dinosaurs
Location: Shuttle Bay
Timeline: After Away Team locate campsite

It was time, the Away Team team had located a suitable location for the crew to set up camp, within walking distance but it would still take them nearly a day to get there carrying supplies and managing the walking wounded. The crew were gathering in the shuttle bay, each of them with a pack or bag of some sort with supplies and equipment. Soon it would be time to leave their home behind.

Aurora stood with the few children that were currently onboard the Sunfire. Carrying Sidak in a wrap against her body she had packed what she could, what was most precious to her and hoped to return for the rest of hers and Savar’s belongings.

Duo and Josette checked each others packs and equipment. When they were each satisfied with the others kit, they turned to face each other. Duo noticed a small scratch on her forehead, just below her hair line. He reached for it with his right hand and said "What's that?" Josette raised her eyes up and said, "What's what?" just as he poked it intentionally with his finger. She pulled back with a slight sting of pain, "Aye, whats that about ya dobber?!"

She swatted his hand away and punched him affectionately square in his solar plexus. He grinned as he shrunk back, attempting to cover himself from more blows by the feisty Chief. She relented after the first blow and returned his smile. It was the exact thing her brother Lucas would have done, and she loved him for it. She missed dearly, and knowing Duo brought her great comfort.

"Listen, Josie. The Captain has me up with the point team while we move out to camp. I want you to stick to Aurora and the children like a second skin. She will have her hands full with Sidak and if one of them were to wonder off...to say nothing of if we are attacked..."he trailed off.

"I understand. Don't worry. You better get going. I'll see you at camp." She gave him a nod and walked over to join Aurora and the children.

Duo slung his phaser rifle and went to join the rest of the point team on the edge of the mustered crew.

Kit picked up her duffel bag and slung it over her left shoulder, it contained a few uniforms and her Orion firepot. She figured the ornately designed cooking device would come in handy, just keep the kiddies away from it due to the crudely erotic scenes of Orion mythology embossed on it. She had already tucked several daggers in very discreet places on her body, to include one in each boot. Her dancerknife was tucked up close on her left hip. She also had packed some of her spices, and a bottle of Orion whiskey and Orion rum. She also ensured she had a science tricorder and extra power cells for both her dancerknife and tricorder. She was as ready as she could be and made her way to the shuttle bay.

Blake listened to what people said with half an ear. As she wasn't entirely sure where to be, so she approached Aurora. "Do you need help?", she asked, feeling awkward. While she absolutely adored children, she had never had a lot of time to care for one.

Aurora smiled warmly as she looked at Blake. “Help would be much appreciated Lieutenant. There are several children here whose parents are busy elsewhere, I could use a hand looking after them.”

"I'm glad to help", Blake said as she offered her hand to a little boy who couldn't be much more than 5. He was clearly nervous and seemed to feel as out of place as she did. "Hey there. I'm Blake. I'll help protect you, okay? The nice lady and I will be here, so you don't have to be afraid", she told the child. The sheer look of terror of the unknown was like a knife to a limb. The boy, and all of the other children for that matter, had no idea what was happening. It was terrifying for them. She paused her line of thought for a moment, thinking back on her time at the orphanage, where the feeling of standing in the unknown had been an every day thing.

Aurora offered a warm smile. “You’re a natural with children, we’ll try and get them all reunited with their parents once we reach shelter.”


The Captain stood, with her own bag draped over one shoulder, getting a feel for the emotions of everyone in the room. It was a feeling of anticipation, mixed with a heavy dose of trepidation, even outright fear in some cases. This was an extreme situation they were facing, and many had never been in this situation before.

Alison Haldeman stood alongside her husband and daughter waiting to leave. They weren’t strangers to this, hell they’d lived this crash nightmare for years. They knew how to survive, but the creatures of this world made things a whole lot more complicated.

The Sunfire's Chief Engineer entered the room and stood in the crowd of crew-members. He felt that he could have done more to prevent the current situation. But he also knew he did his job and everything he could have done in the moment. He hated seeing any ship in this state, let alone the Sunfire. He waited patiently for what was to come next.

Tags all

As the crew finished assembling, Rhenora stepped up onto the nacelle of one of the shuttles, giving her enough to be only a head above the crowd given her short stature. A piercing whistle rang out, and the Rumble of conversation grinded to a halt.

" Thank you all for coming. The time has come to leave our home, it's no longer safe for us to stay here. The away team have identified a safe camp, and it's time for us to head there. The working shuttle will convey the wounded and the youngest children, the rest of us will walk. However, I need a small team to remain here to vent the smoke and ensure the distress beacon remains active. I'm not ordering anyone to do this, but I am asking for volunteers"

"I'll stay Rhenora." Thomas Haldeman spoke up. I'll make sure the beacon stays active and to vent the smoke."

Alison Haldeman looked at her husband in dismay but said nothing, she knew someone had to stay. The fact she didn’t like it had nothing to do with it. She had their teenage daughter to look after as well as their unborn child.

"I'm sorry Alison, someone has to stay and do this. I can't ask you and Amanda to stay. It isn't safe. Besides, I know the systems at least some of them."

Alison nodded as she looked toward her husband. “I know, but you’d better come back to me! I swear I’ll come looking for you if you don’t.”

"I will. I promise you, once the smoke is vented. "Rhenora,... he stopped "Captain, may i suggest you set up a rotating schedule of volunteers to look after the beacon to say be changed every two weeks."

She wasn't good with kids and making it out there against potential dinosaurs seemed a recipe for disaster. Besides, she had yet to do anything to make amends for what she continued to deem a mistake on her part. "I volunteer as tribute," Bonnie said raising her nerd hand to announce her intentions. "I'll stay and fix, um, what I can."

Tom smiled as Bonnie volunteered to stay as well. "Hey Bonnie, since you're staying as well, I'll see if I can find us a deck of cards. Something to help pass the time."

"I'll stay also captain, I am a lead firefighter and am most familiar with the venting of the smoke, and also how to manage any small fires in existence." replied Kit.

Tom nodded and smiled, "Great one more for our little team. Let's make sure we each have a fully charged phaser and at least two fully charged phaser rifles. What about water? Can we get it from the Sunfire's systems?"

"You may be able to Jerry rig a replicator for water, otherwise we can leave some containers for you and the river is nearby. As much as I don't want to split up everyone, we must keep that beacon going..I agree with a two week rotation, Prophets hope we are rescued before then" The Captain replied, hoping that it would be a matter of days not weeks before help came. Then again after the war, resources were stretched thin, and they had no idea of the distress beacon was even penetrating the atmosphere of the planet at all.

"Leave a couple of containers for us, in case we can't get the replicator to work or the amount of water it produces isn't enough or drinkable." Tom answered. "We'll keep the beacon going and get the smoke vented. We'll have the Sunfire ship shape in no time." He quipped.

Thriss chimed up. "I think that I can help with that as well. A Chief Engineer remaining behind will help significantly in getting the Sunfire in working order. Plus I don't know how much help I'll be at the camp" he said to the Captain.

"Thank you Chief, including yourself that should be enough to remain behind and I'm sure your expertise will be most required." Rhenora replied, making a mental note of those who had volunteered to stay. "For everyone else, the camp is a fair walk, I'll send through the location to all devices but I think it's pretty fair to say if we stay as a group we won't get lost. Keep the pace easy, and conserve your energy"

"Have a good team." I think Tom noted as he walked over to Alison and Amanda, "I'll see you both in two weeks. Stay safe. Mandy help your mom as much as you can." Then he turned to Ali, "I love you." he said simply and before she could reply, he kissed her. "Stay with the others, safety in numbers. " He reminded them.

“We will, I promise” Alison gave her husband one more hug before letting him go. “The same goes for you, stay safe!”

"Alpha Point Team, Lead out" Rhenora's voice rang out clearly through the large shuttle bay, and a number of officers with large phaser rifles headed towards the hanger door. "Alright everyone, let's go"

The Captain paused, shifted the pack on her shoulder then stepped down, heading over to where a large rudimentary ramp had been hastily constructed leading from the hanger door down to the ground. There was nothing more to be said - they were leaving, and she hoped beyond hoped that they would be able to return.

Kit set her duffle down and watched as the group left. She knew she was missing an opportunity to study the local wildlife, but she also knew besides the engineering staff she was one of the few trained in firefighting and venting on a starship; a consequence of her Nosocomephobia, fear of hospitals. Normally the Science division assisted the Medical division in times of emergencies, but higher command decided it best to train her as a firefighter lead; a twelve-week intensive engineering and firefighting school, at the Academy. She would wait until the crew had left before inquiring of her senior officers how they wished to proceed.