We're Here to Rescue You

Posted on Wed Mar 8th, 2023 @ 1:17am by Captain Charlotte Rhodes & Lieutenant Commander Kenna Wolff & Lieutenant Commander Ryan Knight & Lieutenant Callie Knight
Edited on on Wed Mar 29th, 2023 @ 6:04pm

1,133 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: New Sheriff in Town
Location: Vela IV Surface
Timeline: Immediately following Arrival at Vela IV
Tags: story

As the light of the transporter faded, the Defiant away team took in their surroundings. They were located upon one of the large plateaus, dominated by forest. The forest did not reach the gargantuan heights of those below the raised landmass, but they were large nonetheless. In there immediate vicinity, there was little in the way of signs of life. But they hadn't exactly beamed down right on top of the pod.

Charlotte Rhodes gestured to her crew as she swept the perimeter with her eyes. "Alright team, I need some directions. We picking up any lifesigns?"

Callie looked around where they’d arrived, letting her mental ‘walls’ drop enough to get a sense she looked towards Charlotte. “There’s definitely survivors here Captain, I can feel them.”

Ryan pulled his tricorder up and turned around slowly to scan the immediate area for signs of life. "The escape pod is two kilometers south and about seventy-five meters below our current position, but...there’s humanoid life signs about two kilometers to the north." He readjusted the parameters to scan for refined platinum. "I have a lock on Samatha's bracelet to the north."

Charlotte took in their surroundings for a moment, before turning in the direction Ryan had detected the bracelet. "North it is then. Kenna, you want to take point?"

Kenna nodded. "Knight, you have the Captain's back" she said as she unslung her rifle and looked around before heading in the direction given.

---Several Minutes later---
The quartet had been traveling for some time. There had been obvious signs of someone passing through the area previously, but they'd encountered no one yet. The tricorder was now reading that they were a mere quarter mile away when something stuck out from the foliage. The bodies of two individuals, a human male in expedition gear and a Nausicaan in more tactical looking gear.

Ryan used his tricorder and pulled up the loaded files on the expedition team. It only took a moment to identify the human. He glanced up at Charlotte. "Doctor Ross, the expedition leader." He stood up and looked around the area for a few moments before pointing. "There were at least two others down here in close proximity to the two bodies." He looked at the body of the Nausicaan before glancing up a small rise. "The wound pattern on the Nausican indicates he was shot with a phaser from an elevated position." He pointed up the small hill. "Probably from up there by those rocks."

The Captain stooped down to investigate the scene. “Commander Wolff, I could be wrong, but this Nausicaan’s injury looks an awful lot like the work of a Starfleet phaser. The short was possibly one of our survivors?”

"Its a possibility" Kenna knelt and began to scan the bodies.
"Phaser fire from a Phaser 1B." she muttered as she scanned them. "Standard issue for the expedition." She looked around and then nodded up the hill where Knight had pointed. "from there as Knight said."

Callie looked at the body of the Nausican “At least now we have a better idea what happened here.” She looked towards Ryan. “Let’s find your sister.”

Ryan checked his tricorder and gestured with the device. "Samantha's bracelet is approximately 436 meters west."

In the distance the deep gutteral call of some massive creature echoed, no doubt one of the large local fauna the briefing report had mentioned.

"Alright everyone. Eyes open, but let's keep a steadypace. I'd rather not be here longer than needed," Charlotte said, raising her rifle in front of her. As the team made their way up the hill, the signs of the fire fight became more obvious. Energy weapon fire had singed numerous parts of the foliage, event cutting clean through one of the branches of a neighboring tree. Scattered underbrush from what looked like a few individuals crawling for cover.

And then not far ahead, a bit of foliage on a rock face that stuck out ever so slightly. With a cursory search, it likely wouldn't have been worth much attention. But years of Starfleet Survival Training had made Rhodes familiar enough with what it looked like when it was implemented. With a gesture, she called her teams attention to it.

As they assumed positions outside the cave, Rhodes called out. "Is anyone in there? This is Captain Charlotte Rhodes of the USS Defiant."

Samantha peered out tentatively. She could clearly see the woman claiming to be the Captain of a Starfleet vessel, but it was one of the other officers present that convinced her the landing party was legitimate. "Come on, let's go."

Teh'dri had been further into the cave when she heard the voice and shot an immediate glance over at Samantha. "Are you sure they are who they claim to be? This could be a trick by Vestra.,"

Samantha smiled and gestured as she rose to her feet. "The male is my twin brother." She stepped out of the cave. "Thank you for coming Captain Rhodes. We've been hiding in this cave for the better part of a day."

As the two exited the cave, the Captain couldn't help but let a smile spread on her face. The woman emerging looked exactly like the personnel image she'd memorized after hearing her helmsman's sister was possibly among the lost. Charlotte was now glad to confirm that Samantha Knight was, in fact, alive. "Doctor Knight, I'm happy to announce that we're here to rescue you. Your brother here has kept us very much on task. And your companion?"

The young science officer stepped forward. "Lieutenant Teh'dri Caix of the USS Howard Carter. Have you managed to rescue many of my crew?"

Charlotte simply shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. You're the first we've found. But we do have another party looking into an escape pod quite some distance south of here. I don't want to rush us, but unless you are aware of any others in the area, I highly suggest we return to our ship. We can debrief about your attackers there."

Samantha crossed to her brother and hugged him. She released him and turned to Charlotte. "I highly agree with your suggestion. So...can we get the hell out of here. Like now please."

Callie smiled as she looked at Ryan, she could feel his relief at having found his sister alive and well. “Hi, I’m Callie Vali, ship’s Counsellor, don’t worry we’ll get you back to the ship as soon as possible.” She gave Samantha a warm smile.

Rhodes flipped open her communicator. "Rhodes to Defiant, 6 to beam up."

The reply came in a moment. "Aye. On your command."

"Energize." In a momentary swirl of light, the party disappeared, leaving only the disturbed foliage in their wake.

 

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