[Act 2 Begins] Flt. Capt. Kells: Once more unto New New Bajor, dear friends

[Tony Colella]

OOC Please read the captain's log carefully, as it has a new description of all character locations. Take a day or two to wrap up your plotlines and answer your tags from Act 1, and then proceed into Act 2!

(( Captain's Ready Room, Deck 1, USS Thor ))

Captain's log, stardate 239710.12. After the exciting events of the last few hours, I can tell this is already going to be a monster of a debrief. What was supposed to be a simple supply run turned quickly into a scientific mystery, and while I usually enjoy those, I don't like them when they concern the agriculture of an entire world. The crop blights and ruined soils would be trouble enough, but we have clear evidence that the politics of the colony are not at all what we were led to believe either. The Thor is currently sheltering both Alenis Nerys and Velos Tan, who represent the dissidents against the colony administration's decision to ignore the ongoing blight. I want to understand more about what's going on here, so I've asked for them to be completely debriefed, but there are a lot of moving pieces to this mission that I didn't expect.

I asked Lieutenant Greaves and Doctor Quen to pick up Counselor Brodie in the Tigris. I want them to have a way out if they run into trouble, but I also want them to gather information from the people themselves, since we have little sense of how the individual colonists are responding. They've set down near the agricultural quarter near the Ralaren Dam, and I hope to receive reports from them quickly.

I'll be heading down to the planet myself, along with Doctor Alieth and Ensign Dar. I'm determined to talk to Tidak Beru, the colony's governor, about what's happened here. My hope, small as it is, is that there is some reasonable, rational explanation for his administration's response, and even if he seems less than willing to give it -- if the report of my away team and Minister Velos are any indication -- my hope is that he might respect my authority, and the intent of both Bajor and the Federation.

I've left the Thor under the command of Commander Teller, with Lieutenant Sirok and Ensign Katsim to report directly to him. There may be another party involved in this whole affair, as discovered by Ensign Katsim recently -- and perhaps they've been silenced? In any event, the Thor is going to find out -- and also stay out of jamming range, hopefully, if Governor Tidak or whoever was responsible the first time sees fit to try that trick again.

I've also asked Commander Pandorn, Lieutenant Lovar, and Ensign Wilkins to remain on the Thor and focus on finding a scientific and diplomatic solution to this mess. They should further debrief Alenis and Velos if they see fit, but my baseline hope is that they'll be able to provide us some more answers. Or any answers, really.

At that moment, the door chime rang, and Aron paused the recording.

Kells: Just a moment, please!

He resumed, for he was almost finished:

I'm leaving now for the surface. I hope that shortly I'll have many more of the answers I seek. End log.

Aron didn't bother to ask the officers outside to join him in his ready room. Instead, he joined them: He walked out to find Doctor Alieth and Ensign Dar waiting.

Kells: Doctor, Ensign. Let's hope that we fare better with the governor this time.

Alieth / Dar: Responses

He turned then to Geoff, who was in the center chair.

Kells: Keep things as steady as you can, Commander. This shouldn't take long.

The shortest possible outcome might even be if Governor Tidak refused to speak to him, though Aron doubted that would be the case, not after what he'd tried with the first away team.

Teller: Response

Alieth / Dar: Responses

With that, Aron, Alieth, and Dar proceeded to a the corridors off the bridge, heading to Transporter Room 1. As they walked, Aron turned to both officers.

Kells: What was your sense of the colony the first time you were there? (to Alieth) And of the governor?

Alieth / Dar: Responses

He nodded along, noting carefully their observations and feelings from their first visits.

Kells: And this plan? (beat, with a small smile) Is it ludicrous to return to speak to Tidak? Speak freely.

Alieth / Dar: Responses

Well, he had his answer. He stood back as they reached the transporter room door to allow them to enter first, and then they ascended to the pad. Aron had his standard tricorder at his side, but had, too, a phaser holstered on his hip. He removed it and held it loosely before him.

Kells: Phasers on medium stun, please. Ensign, you'll take point.

Dar: Response

He moved aside so that Dar could stand before him and Alieth.

Kells: Ready?

Alieth / Dar: Responses

Kells: (to transporter chief) Energize.

Tags! and TBC!

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Fleet Captain Aron Kells

Commanding Officer

USS Thor

V238208LV0

&

SB118 Captains Council Magistrate (so ask me anything!)

he/him/his (character & player)