05J - Aeythus System

A medium-sized system with a star slightly smaller than one solar mass, there is very little of interest in the Aeythus system.  It is home to four planets.  The first two and the last are unremarkable, but the third is, at the very least, a scientific curiosity.  It is on the very edge of what one might consider life-bearing; it is a frozen world, with a narrow band of barely habitable land at the equator.  Once, it was a garden world, but over time it has become a bitter, cold wasteland.  Of note is a Valkarian Research Outpost in the northern hemisphere. 

Currently in orbit is the Valkarian Corvette Markon's Pride, the purpose of it's presence unknown.

Low Orbit

In orbit of the planet, an energy signature briefly appeared, consistent with that of a starship exiting an FTL jump. Specifically the HMS Rosalind Franklin, a frigate of the Royal Navy's fleet which had at one point in its history been a top-of-the-line vessel. Now, the two century old frigate had instead been decommissioned from military service and instead retrofitted as a scientific vessel, in this case sent out to survey uncharted solar systems and planets of interest. Onboard the vessel, one Captain Gabriel Roberts was involved in a discussion between Engineering and Navigation over why the Rosalind Franklin had made an FTL jump as dangerously close to the planet it had, and why the engines had shutdown with a critical failure alert lighting up all over the ship.

"Engineering, give me a report ASAP."

"We've tried to reboot the engines without success and she can't handle another jump, especially not this close to the planet. We can't maintain orbit for much longer either, the planet's pulling us in and sooner or later we're going to have to brace for impact."

"Navigation?"

"Engineering's right, Captain. We estimate another seven minutes at most before we breach the atmosphere, the best we can do is be ready for it."

Captain Roberts glanced around the Command Center, watching the crewmen frantically set about their duties as the ship hurtled closer and closer towards the planet. Knowing she couldn't let the crew see her yield to the danger of the situation, she maintained a calm demeanour and wore it like a second skin. Leaning forward, she addressed the entirety of the ship as she gave out a final order.

"All crew, brace for impact. We're coming in hard."

And so the Rosalind Franklin was pulled into the planet's orbit, crash landing somewhere close to the northern hemisphere.

CIC of the Valkaryian Corvette Markon's Pride
High Orbit above Aeythus III


"Reading an FTL signature, Captain.  Low orbit.  I'm not reading an identity beacon.  It looks like- They're going down, sir.  Must have jumped too close to the planet."

"Who are they?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but from the energy signature, I'd have to say human."

Captain Thaestus peered into the holographic display of the planet, watching it zoom in on a glyph marking the location of the FTL burst.  He narrowed his eyes.  Humans.  Humanity.. did not have a stellar reputation amongst the cosmos.  However, the code teaches help to those in need, and that ship was going down.  They needed the Valkaryian's help.

"Can we reach them in time?"

"Unlikely, Captain.  Computer approximates seven minutes until landfall."

"Figure out where they're going to land, Ensign." He turned to another crewman. "I want you to scramble shuttles to that location."

Shortly after the ship makes landfall, several Valkar gunships move in on the wreck's location, weapons primed (honour be damned, they can't ignore the possibility that the survivors could be hostile).  The location of the wreck itself is a large glacial region, approximately forty kilometers from the Valkar Research Outpost.  They're almost out of daylight, and the already frigid temperature is dropping fast.

Aeythus III
Northern Hemisphere

From a distance, a thin trail of smoke and steam could be seen rising from where the Rosalind Franklin had made landfall. A seven hundred metre long trail had been burned into frozen surface from where the research vessel had made friction with the ground, and even for such a cold planet it was of no surprise when faint clouds of steam were still rising into the air before freezing back into icy droplets again. The ship itself was in a less than exemplar state; the hull had evidently seen its fair share of dents and minor breaches and a few of the external instruments had been damaged by the impact, but otherwise the ship appeared to be functional.

Inside, the crew were still licking their wounds and recovering from shock, and a few unfortunate crewmen who'd waited till the last minute to prepare for the impact had been either thrown out of their seats or smashed against one of the terminals in front of them, in some cases knocking them unconscious. The Captain herself was no worse for wear, and as soon as she'd made sure that those in the Command Center around her were alright she got back on the comms to the rest of the crew.

"All departments, give me a status report."

It took a moment before she finally got a tired, worn out response.

"This is Engineering... we've lost full use of the engines completely, they're going to require some heavy maintenance. Hull damage isn't too severe, no major breaches that would pose a significant threat. Life support is still functioning as usual, as are comms, but we're having a few issues with power management though so we might have to temporarily sacrifice some of our less important systems, so we've had to cut off our shields for the time being."

The final note gave her a small bit of relief when she noticed that the lights had been occasionally flickering.

"Comms, are you still able to relay a message back to High Command?"

"Aye ma'am, but planetside with a signal like this we could be waiting for a few days before we'd see any sign of a rescue party."

"Get out an S.O.S message ASAP, the sooner that's handled the better-"

Automated claxons sounding off across the bridge prevented the Captain from finishing her sentence, and before she could question her crewmen she heard one of the ensigns urgently calling out.

"Sensors are picking up four unknown contacts headed towards our direction, energy signatures indicate they're some kind of shuttle, but nothing we have on record. Scans are indicating that they are armed and their weapons are primed!"

'Dammit' she thought to herself, realising just how urgent the situation had just become. They were facing the possibility of being attacked or captured by an unknown alien species, and the mission she'd been sent on wasn't even military. The small unit of Royal Marines assigned to her ship consisted primarily of greenhorns who'd hardly seen any real experience, and they were small in number to boot, but the alternative option was nowhere to be seen. Activating her comms once again, she addressed the CO of the unit; one Lieutenant Peter McKellen.

"Lieutenant, I need your Marines ready ASAP. We're going to need a response team for the case in which we're breached."

"Understood, ma'am."

If one thing was certain, it was going to be a long day.

Aeythus III
Northern Hemisphere

Four Valkarian Gunships converge on the wreckage, their spotlights illuminating the crashed vessel.  Aboard one of them, a Valkar scientist, clad in a black jumpsuit of sorts puts his hand on the pilot's shoulder, looking out the shuttle's window to the ship.  He looks to the holotool on his arm, typing in a few commands on the holographic interface, examining data from the gunship's scanners.

"It looks like their comm systems are still functional.  Good."

The pilot nodded silently.  The Scientist presses his hand into his ear, activating an earpiece.

"All gunships, hold position.  Beginning transmission now."

The shuttle transmits a sequence of messages to the wreck.  The message is kept short, as not to tax the translator program.

<:: Humans.  Wounded?

Aeythus III
Northern Hemisphere

"Incoming message from the contacts, they appear to be utilising some kind of translation program."

Captain Roberts habitually pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers as she examined the message, carefully weighing her options. At the very least, they recognised what species they were, but most probably not that they belonged to the Commonwealth. Humans had made something of a name for themselves in the past few centuries so it wasn't a particular surprise to her, though she was more concerned about the potential risk they posed. They'd asked about whether or not there were any wounded on the ship, though she couldn't yet tell whether this was to probe for weakness or a genuine interest in helping them. Deciding to play it safe, she avoided the question and responded on more of a formal note, utilising the onboard translator program to forward it.

"+This is Captain Gabriel Roberts of the scientific vessel HMS Rosalind Franklin, Royal Navy of the Greater Commonwealth of Systems. Identify yourselves+"

Aeythus III
Northern Hemisphere

"Response incoming." The Science Officer looks to his holotool, waiting for the computer to translate the message.  While the translation isn't perfect, it's relatively understandable.  He pauses for a moment, it taking him a moment to realize that they never actually answered the question.  He lets out a long, low noise not all that different from a sigh.

He transmits a message in response.

<:: We are of the Valkarian Empire. 

Aeythus III
Northern Hemisphere

The Captain paused for a moment, before eventually resuming communications with the unknown individual.

Transcript wrote:

"You're not recorded within our databanks, making this our first contact, correct?"
"Yes."
"Is this planet within your territorial borders?
"Yes."
"In which case we apologise for the intrusion, that was not our original intent. Who am I speaking with?"
"Lieutenant Nyros of the 24th Legion."
"Good to know I'm speaking with a fellow officer, then. Forgive me for for informalities, but is this one of your people's colonies? It looks too uninhabitable to be a homeworld of a sentient species."
"Yes.  Do you have injured?"

 

Around the ship, the distinct sound of ice cracking and shifting could be heard.

Transcript wrote:

"None of our crew have any major injuries beyond a concussion."

Sensors were lighting up around the ship as the ice began to crack, prompting those at their posts to investigate however they could.

Transcript wrote:

'Impressive. How damaged is your ship?"

Sensors indicated that the source of the ice shifting wasn't nearby.  The source was approximately one and a half kilometers away, and moving towards them.  Another message followed.

Transcript wrote:

"This region is not safe. Evacuation is advisable."

The Captain frowned, sending out another message.

Transcript wrote:

"How long until the region becomes unstable?"
"The region is stable."
"Our sensors are detecting shifts in the ice."

For a brief moment there was a delay.

Transcript wrote:

"Contact with local megafauna inadvisable."
"Megafauna?"
"Ice-Burrower."
"They can pose a threat to our vessel?"
"It depends."
"I'd rather not risk the structural integrity of my ship. How long do you estimate until it can pose a threat? Our engines aren't functioning and we can't estimate how long it will take to bring them back online."
"Approximately twenty minutes.

A long pause followed before the Captain finally responded.

Transcript wrote:

"So there isn't an alternative."
"No.  How large is your crew?"
"Approximately fifty crew members, including myself."

There was a long delay.

Transcript wrote:

"Then a new plan is required.  Are your ship's weapons operational?"
"Yes, we suffered power losses but we can redirect power to those systems if need be."
"Then that will have to do."

The source of the tremors grows closer.  The Valkar transmit another message. 

Quote :

"It will attempt to coil itself around your ship and crush it.  If it can, you will die."

The Captain's voice didn't falter, though the tone she used seem to indicate that she was trying not to seem so.

Quote :

"Has it been able to do so before?"
"Yes.  Once.  We try to steer clear of them.  They are extremely territorial creatures."
"Has anyone ever been able to ward them off?"
"Are your shields functional?"

The Valkar doesn't answer the question.

Quote :

"The crash landing knocked them offline, though we might be able to get them working again."
"Do so.  When it attacks, bring your shields to their highest power settings.  We will attempt to kill it.  If it gets through, you will have to rely on your own weaponry, or else we risk friendly fire."
"Understood, Lieutenant." 

She gestured to one of the ensigns and began handing out her orders, sending down commands to engineering for them to set about siphoning power from less essential functions towards the shields and weapon batteries. The HMS Rosalind Franklin was anything but a top-of-the-line vessel by modern standards, but it could still hold its own.

The sources of the tremors grows ever closer.  

Quote :

"ETA is approximately five minutes."

The Valkarian gunships move several meters away from the ship, aiming themselves in the direction of the tremors.  Power signatures from the Human vessel were slowly rising, directed towards the shielding and weapons systems. Batteries were directing their aim towards the source of the tremors.  The source is almost upon them; the tremors are near-constant.

Quote :

"May the void be kind."  

Suddenly, in front of the ship, a massive, apparently insectoid creatures bursts from the ice, attempting to wrap itself around the ship.  The Valkarian gunships open fire, causing the creature to let out a deafening screech, and, unfortunately, coil tighter, against the shields of the ship.

Quote :

"Fire -all- of our batteries, now!"

All of the available weapons onboard the ship begin to open fire on the creature, delivering the payloads they could as it strained against their shields.  The creature writhes and squirms under the fire of both the ship and the Valkarian shuttles.  Suprisingly- to the Valkar especially- the creature releases it's grip on the ship, burrowing back into the ice.  It soon vanishes from sensor range. 

Quote :

"That is.. odd."

There was a brief moment of fanfare and celebration across the Rosalind Franklin as the creature retreated, only for the Captain to reply.

Quote :

"How so?"
"That's never happened before.  We may have scared it off."

There's a pause. 

Quote :

"It is advised that you begin repairs to your engines as soon as possible."
"I've got my crew working on it as we speak. For what it's worth, Lieutenant, we appreciate the help."
"You fought well, Captain."
"I'd hope this might be the first of many encounters with your people."
"That would be agreeable."

Aeythus System
Nearby Aeythus III

 High above the action below, a massive FTL signature appears, followed a burst of energy and the arrival of the massive Valkar Dreadnought Justice Ascendant, flagship of the Valkarian fleet and personal vessel of the Emperor.  It is rarely seen outside the orbit of the Valkar throneworld, much less outside the Saet system, though it has clearly seen combat since its construction  It quickly enters orbit around Aeythus III; the reason for its arrival unknown.

Aeythus III
Northern Hemisphere

Aboard his gunship, the Valkar in charge presses a hand into his commlink, receiving a message.  He nods, briefly speaking back in the affirmative.  His look is surprised, to say the least.  He looks back to his holo-tool, tapping in a few commands and sending a transmission to the Commonwealth vessel.

<:: Once repairs have completed, you will dock with the Dreadnought in orbit.  The emperor himself wishes to speak to you.  You have been given a great honour.  

Aeythus III
Low Orbit

It had taken a short while to get the Rosalind Franklin's engines back on line, due in no small part to the damage taken in by the crash landing. Fortunately, the ship was functional - no hull breaches, no loss of essential functions. It would've been enough to get them back home and report their findings. Of course, that plan had been put on hold by the sudden message that was lighting up across the Comm's Screen before the Captain. True to the message's word, sensors were picking up a large vessel giving off signatures equivalent to a Dreadnought-class vessel, so the chances were that the aliens weren't trying a method of deception. At least, not for the time being. If they'd wanted to capture them they would've done so on the planet, but even then the Captain held that slight bit of caution at the pit of her mind. First contact didn't always go so smoothly, and some alien factions had their own agendas, but she couldn't turn them down. At the very least, she owed them some form of formal courtesy for helping them fend off that creature back on the planet, and so she hesitantly agreed to the terms through a simple message.

"+Understood, the honour is much appreciated. Beginning docking procedures now..+"

Enabling its docking functions, the Rosalind Franklin slowly approached the alien Dreadnought and began to dock with the vessel. Waiting at the airlock, the Captain and a number of Lieutenant McKellen's Royal Marine Commandos accompanying her were suited up in  standard issue powered E.V.A suits intended to enable navigation through practically any foreign environment in addition to combat zones, and were intended for use during first contact situations so that the contact-teams could follow quarantine procedures whilst avoiding the risk of contamination. Whilst the Marine Commandos were armed with SA40 rifles, the Captain herself kept a SIG P320 sidearm holstered at her hip. Giving out the order, a final message was sent out.

"+We're ready to enter through the airlock+."

The airlock door slides open, opening to a large room.  The chamber itself appears rather well.. sterile.  One might assume it's some sort of decontamination room, and they'd be right.  After the captain and her marines enter the room, the airlock behind them closes.  A bright blue light fills the room as the interior is thoroughly scanned for contagions and the like.  An alien word repeats itself over a speaker in the room- the Valkar word for 'scanning', one might assume.  A moment afterward, the door on the far side of the room opens.  On the other side of the door stands a Valkar female, accompanied by several armoured soldiers.  The Valkar female wears a tight, black jumpsuit with a faint hexagonal pattern faintly visible in several places.  It actually appears to serve as light body armor, given the distinct plates on the chest, shoulders, and around the joints.  There's a glyph on some sort in the upper right corner of her chest, presumably indicative of rank.  Sheathed across her back is what appears to be some sort of sword, and she has what is most definitely a sidearm holstered on her hip.  She wears what appears to be a transparent breathing mask, though it's true purpose becomes obvious when she speaks.

"You will follow me.  You may keep your weapons, but be aware- if you attempt to engage in hostilities, you will die." She speaks in English- or, rather, the mask translates her speech into English for her.  The tone is obviously synthesized.

"Understood. Rest assured, there will be no hostilities from us."

The Captain's vocoder quickly gave out a synthesized translation of her response to the Valkar Commander. Interestingly enough, whilst the other four marines' helmets had visors which were shrouded off from viewing inside by a visual effect, perhaps to try and cement the idea that they were no ordinary individuals, the Captain's visor was clear and transparent, enabling the Valkar to see her face. Again, her expression didn't betray how she actually felt about the situation - nervousness and caution being chief among them. After all, different cultures meant that one wrong phrase could mean a threat or severe insult to the aliens, which would ultimately endanger both herself and those under her command. Nodding politely, she followed after the Commander whilst the marines followed suit.

The female Valkar and her companions lead them along a fairly long journey through the innards of the ship.  It clearly isn't the most expedient way to get to their destination; instead, it winds through the ship, taking them through the ship's main accelerator battery, past no less than two armouries, past a number of armed Valkar, before eventually getting on an elevator, going up more than a few decks, and, of course, getting off the elevator.  The path they took was, indeed, not to get them where they needed to be as quickly as possible.  Instead, it appeared to have been an attempt at intimidation, an attempt to get across exactly how formidable the ship was, and, as humans would put, how the Valkar aren't "to be fucked with".

Finally, they reach an area near the middle of the ship and come to a stop.  The female turns to them, pointing to the female human in charge, and then pointing to a nearby door.  "You will enter.  Alone.  Your soldiers will remain where they are."

Whilst remaining silent throughout the duration of the escort, the Captain was not blind to the intentions of the route they had taken. Even for alien architecture, it was fairly easy to pick out the different aspects of the ship - a weapons battery here, an armoury there - the list went on. Regardless, she didn't want to appear vulnerable or easily swayed in front of an as-of-yet unknown entity, so she remained silent and formal for the time being. Arriving at the door, she took a moment to process the guard's order and quietly nodded to the Royal Marine Commandos accompanying her, before taking a step forward and speaking with the same consistent tone as before.

"Understood, my Royal Marine Commandos will have no reason to trouble you."

Whilst it wasn't exactly a formal protocol to state the full title of the men under her command, she felt as if it would add something of a point that the Royal Navy weren't pushovers, either. Stepping forwards yet again, she passed through the door.

The door opens to reveal what appears to be a conference room; situated on the far side of the room, across a table, is a male Valkar.  His scales are darker than the female's, and his facial markings are white; the markings resemble a stylized, inverted rising sun; the horizon situated at his nose, long lines crossing his cheeks like sunbeams.  He's outfitted in a uniform not unlike that of the female Valkar who led them there, though the plating is slightly thicker and he wears a white cloak of some sort, the hood down.  The cloak itself appears to be made from a flowing, matte material.  He looks over to the woman, the door closing behind her.

"Greetings, Captain Gabriel."   

The Valkar looks to the Captain, bringing his closed fist to the right side of his chest, evidently some kind of Valkarian salute.

Quote :

"Greetings, Captain Gabriel.  I am Emperor Nevarus, leader of my people."

Quickly recognising the gesture, the Captain raised her hand into a salute returned to the Emperor, offering her own greeting. 

Quote :

"I'm honored to be given an audience with you, Emperor. I'm from the Royal Navy of the Greater Commonwealth of systems, Captain of HMS Rosalind Franklin."

The emperor nods, looking over the human, almost as if examining or scanning her.  He motions to the seat in front of her. 

Quote :

"Please, Captain, be seated."

Nodding quietly, the Captain quickly takes a seat at the table.  The Valkar turns, though his gaze still rests upon Captain Gabriel.

Quote :

"Many of my race look down upon your kind.  Much of the interstellar community does, to be truthful.  I, however, do not share this prejudice.  Much in the same way, many among the stars see my kind as warmongers; as mindless brutes."
"I see.."
"This is, of course, untrue."

He turns back to her. 

Quote :

"I find mankind fascinating.  Of all the races the Empire have made contact with, mankind is by far the most diverse."
"But at the same time you've seen how volatile we can be."
"Indeed." 

He turns away, though his head still tilts towards the woman. 

Quote :

"Many among my kind would prefer that we keep to ourselves, that we isolate ourselves from the rest of the galaxy.  I disagree."  

He looks down, clasping his hands behind his back.

Quote :

"The Valkar are on the verge of collapse.  It may not appear that way to the casual observer, but I know better."

He turns back to the captain. 

Quote :

"Within three years, our fuel supply will be almost completely exhausted."
"We must find a new source of Helium-Three, or we will fall."

The Captain paused for a moment, carefully thinking of her next answer. 

Quote :

"And you hope to find a solution to this problem through expansion and linking with others."

The Valkar nods. 

Quote :

"Yes.  We must seek allies amongst the factions of man, or we will fall."
"My people being among them, correct?"
"Yes.  You fought with skill and honour, and our intelligence suggests that your faction would be the wisest choice.  The Zeleniy are untrustworthy and foolish, and the Coalition has no honour.  You are our only true choice."
"I see, but I'm just a soldier, not a diplomat. Why would you want to negotiate this alliance with my aid?"
"That is exactly why I chose to speak to you, rather than wait for a representative from your people.  Because you are a soldier; you have no ulterior motive beyond your duty."

Again, the Captain paused to consider her next words. 

Quote :

"Then what would you ask me to do, exactly?"
"You will represent us to your government.  You will bring to them word that we seek to ally ourselves with your people."
"I see."
"Would you be willing to do this, Captain Gabriel?"
"This could benefit my people just as much as it could benefit yours, so yes - I'm willing to do this, Emperor."
"This is good."
"Of course, my superiors couldn't just take this on my word alone - they'd need a message, information."
"Of course."

 
He nods.

Quote :

"That was expected.  I have prepared a message." 

He reaches into a pocket of his uniform, retrieving from it a small, pyrimidal device of some sort.  He places it on the table.  The tip of the pyramid is transparent.  There's a button on the bottom, though, of course, Captain Gabriel doesn't know that as of yet.

Quote :

"It also contains information pertaining to the biology and culture of my species."
"How does it function?"

He lifts it up, revealing the button on the underside. 

Quote :

"Press this button.  It is a holoprojector."

The Captain leaned forward, raising an eyebrow as she noticed the device. 

Quote :

"I see. I also have a message that would be worthwhile to you." 

She brought a hand down to her 'belt' and eventually retrieved a small tablet device, of which she inputted a code into in order to activate it, before placing it on the table in front of the Emperor.

Quote :

"This contains knowledge on the culture of the Commonwealth, amongst other things."

The emperor takes it, nodding. 

Quote :

"This is appreciated."
"Do you have the co-ordinates for the meeting between your people and mine?"
"They are aboard the device I gave to you."
"Alright. Thank you, Emperor. The aid was appreciated, as is your trust."

The Valkar nods.  He looks to his wrist, activating his holo-tool.  He speaks into it, apparently transmitting to the female soldier who had lead them there. 

Quote :

"The meeting has concluded.  You will lead them back to their ship and allow them to leave."

Eventually, the entryway door opens, revealing the female valkar (and the squad of Valkar soldiers), along with the human marines.  For good faith, the Captain offered another salute to the Emperor, before turning back to the entrance and quietly leaving, her Marines following suit.  The Valkarian soldiers, speaking very little along the way, lead the Captain and her men back to the docking bay, this time taking a far, far more direct route.  As expected, the envoy team returns to the HMS Rosalind Franklin.