The Auction House - Arrival

Posted on 09/30/2020 @ 1:04pm by Ensign Calliope Stratus & Captain Cian D'Anvers & Lieutenant JG Larissa Syndel

Mission: S2E2: The Auction House
Location: Just Outside of Sensor Range
Timeline: Day 1 at 1500

The Auction House was really an older station whose structural origins were deliberately obscured; there was a central column of 20 decks inside a docking ring with four equidistant access tunnels on the thirteenth deck. Nothing much to look at and certainly not easy to find, sitting as it was in an out of the way system without anything remotely habitable nearby. It was one of ten such stations and they were all meant to be overlooked, passed by, and for the most part, they were. It had been parked in geosynchronous orbit around a planet that no one would consider habitable.

As the Crazy Horse came into the system, Cian slid forward in his seat, his storm gray eyes focused on the station just coming into view before them. "Begin scans." He turned toward his new Chief Science Officer. "What can you tell me about this system?"

"The system is pretty sparse," Kiernan Gallagher said from his station. His thin fingers did their customary dance over the lighted control panel while blue eyes stayed fixated on the embedded monitor on his work station. As more information streamed in, he looked up from his station to continue his report. "There are seven planets, all uninhabitable. There is nothing of note, or anything of interest in the system." He then added, "I can see why this system was probably picked to house this station, a ship flying by with passive sensors would find nothing worth stopping for."

Cian nodded, taking in the information, as he studied the station. "Find us some cover," Cian said Calliope. "No sense announcing our arrival."

"Aye Captain," replied Calliope Stratus, the ensign who was the Crazy Horse's support craft pilot, but was working her way up into gaining more duties and responsibilities by taking shifts at the helm controls of the starship itself. "I will do what I can to keep us from being detected. Chances are in our favor given what I'm seeing from navigational sensors. Lieutenant, is that thing even armed?"

Tahlin looked up from her station. "No sign that the station is armed. However, the orbital path its on does take it into an odd angle from the sun that might be shielding things. I suspect if/when the sun's active with solar flares, parts of the station aren't habitable... I'm also detecting some energy emissions that might be ships--possibly Orion raiders or interceptors, and/or other denesins of this Prophets-forsaken place."

Ensign Stratus smiled from her seat. "Oh good, unarmed and most blind," she quipped. "Making my job easier by the moment."

"Several parts of the stations lower decks are heavily shielded, our scans can't get through them." Ensign Cauldwell added to the report. "but the rest of the station is unshielded. There are a large number of lifesigns onboard, of multiple races all in small clusters around the station."

"And with the number of ships we can see, even from this distance," Cian said as he turned toward his first officer, "it could be that it's auction day. Our first priority is to determine whether the colonists are on board and if so, get them to safety. Mister Cauldwell, notify Starfleet command of our situation and request support. Mister Gallagher, if you could work with Lieutenant Cauldwell on the sensors. Is there anyway to get through their shields? Mister Lae'Or, see what you can do about identifying those vessels on the docking ring. If we can't contain them here, then we'll track them down later. And you, Number One, prepare your away team."

Kiernan nodded at the captain's order and followed it up with an affirmative, "Aye sir." He looked over at Cauldwell, and gave a brief nod of acknowledgement as well. He then turned his attention to the sensors and once again, his fingers did the dance over his workstation.

Jodon nodded. "If the majority of that space station is relatively unshielded or rather poorly so, but portions are heavily shielded, I will bet all my spots and freckles the 'valuables' are in the heavier fortified areas of the structure."

"I agree Sir," Cauldwell replied. "If I wanted to keep something safe I'd block sensors and transporters to the area."

"Aye Sir..." Tahlin set to work. "Hmmm, looks like four Orion interceptors, escorted by a pair of smaller fighters each. And..." She looked up in surprise. "One big signature--Ferengi ship, freighter. Hulking, slow, and not very much of a threat. I'm also detecting what appears to be an older Romulan ship--at least forty or fifty years out-of-date." She looked to D'Anvers. "Sir, when we manage to get the colonists out, we'd better be ready to jump. We can handle things if it comes to a fight, but still, I'd recommend getting out of here as quickly as possible... Personally, I don't think it'll come to phasers and photons--criminals these people might be, but cowards they are also."

"Unless we have something of value, I don't foresee us being able to bribe the Ferengi into not giving us a hard time. The combination of Orions and Ferengi at a locations gives off a pungent aroma of criminal activities."

As a rule, Cian wasn't a believer in profiling or stereotyping but, given the preponderance of evidence, it was likely that the Ferengi were here for profit. The notion that they were allied with this particular group of Orions was one worth considering but for the moment, his attention was needed on the scene at hand. "Keep watch on those ships," he ordered. "First sign of shields or weapons powering up, I want to know." He turned toward his first officer, leaning in slightly, as he said, "We need evidence. Find even one colonist present and held against their will and we'll have what we need to act."

Jodon nodded "I understand," he replied and mentally had been making his selections. Find evidence he thought to himself. "Captain with your permission, I would like to take Lieutenant Lae'Or with a few additional security for manpower and hopefully their sleuth abilities. I would also like our Chief Science Officer and Ship's Counselor as they will be vital in finding and authenticating evidence. Both have shown to be good detectives in certain situations. Lastly, I feel Lieutenant Niun will be crucial."

"I would have made the same choices myself," Cian answered. "Find what we need, Number One. More than four hundred innocent lives are counting on you."

Jodon did not need that reminder. He knew what the stakes were. "I won't let you down sir," replied the First Officer. "Ensign Stratus, we're going to need you to pilot the shuttlecraft over. If you don't mind giving us a lift."

Ensign Stratus left her seat behind the starship flight controls and no sooner had she stepped up and away did someone come to take her place as a relief. "I'll get you close enough and place you and the away team on the station, Sir. It will be some fancy flying, but nothing that I am not up for."

A Post By:

Captain Cian D'Anvers
Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Jodon Joral
Executive Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Kiernan Gallagher VII, Ph.D
Chief Science Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant J.G. Lae'Or Tahlin
Chief Tactical Officer/Security Chief
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant J.G. Larissa Syndel
Chief Operations Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant J.G. Siobhan Richards, Ph.D
Chief Counselor
USS Crazy Horse

&
Ensign Calliope Stratus [NPC]
Chief Support Craft Pilot
USS Crazy Horse