JP - PNPCs Cmdre. Kalianna Nicholotti and LtCmdr. Colt Daniels - Firewatch
Travis
((OOC: This is a teaser I worked on with Kali for the Khitomer and Ronin's Fleet Blockbuster campaign, but since it's got some faces (and a ship) that's familiar to some of you, I figured I'd share it here too)) ((Bridge, USS Excalibur - A))
The bridge was all but silent as the massive ship drifted by on the viewscreen. Magnified, it showed up far larger and seemingly closer than it actually was, but even so, it invoked fear and concern all around her. Even without the gifts of telepathy and such, she could very much feel it.
Nicholotti: If I wasn’t seeing this with my own eyes, I don’t think I’d believe it.
Breaking the silence, she looked over towards the tactical station where her old friend, and first officer, stood looking over the shoulder of a much younger tactical officer.
Daniels: I believe it. ::His brow furrowed.:: But I don’t like it.
Her eyes drifted back to the screen. The massive ship was all but fading across the border into Tholian territory without any issue.
Nicholotti: Word is they are called ‘Leviathans’.
Watching the hulking ship drifting gracelessly across the screen, Colt cast a bemused glance back at his CO– who just so happened to be his oldest friend and mentor– before returning his attention to the tactical station.
Daniels: Sounds real friendly.::To the Tactical Officer:: Hit it with every passive scan we’ve got, but hold off on the active scans. I don’t think we want to draw their attention just yet.
Nicholotti: Or ever, really.
With obvious tension in his broad shoulders, Colt returned to his station beside the Commodore. The Excalibur had been lightly refit not all that long ago with a suite of stealthy features, though as far as he knew they’d never been tested this extensively.
He turned to Kali with a mirthless expression.
Daniels: A ship like that is really only built for one purpose…
Looking over at him, she grinned in that sort of impish manner that she was known for.
Nicholotti: Ice cream and cupcakes, I’m sure.
He replied nonchalantly in his characteristic drawl as he settled his large frame into the Excalibur’s comfortable second chair.
Daniels: I’m bettin’ they brought enough to share with the class...
Kali adjusted herself in the chair and crossed one leg over the other as the ship’s transit continued unabated. Her crystalline blues narrowed ever so slightly as if doing so would bring the ship into sharper focus, though such things were controlled on the screen instead.
Nicholotti: What are we reading as far as capabilities? Anything new?
With all of the stealth add-ons that the ship had been sent out with, Kali wondered if they were going to be able to give anything extra to the growing list of things to watch out for with the Lattice Alliance. Compared to other enemies, they really knew almost nothing, and in a situation where war could be felt brewing in the not so distant future, that was a very bad place to be in.
Daniels: Not as much as we’d like, I’m afraid, Commodore. Let’s see…
He tapped through the latest scan returns on his armrest-mounted console with a furrowed brow. He read through what he saw like it was a particularly grim grocery list.
Daniels: A heavily armored composite hull made with ultra-precise Sheliak engineering, armed to the teeth with Tholian tetryon arrays and thermionic torpedoes, and that thing there- ::He pointed to the rear of the dark craft.:: looks like big ‘ol Tholian web emitter. Bad news all around.
Colt and Kali had both been around long enough to recognize the unpleasant calm period just before a war broke out and as he stared at the forces amassing on the Alliance side of the border, he thought it felt a lot like that right now.
Nicholotti: So everything we’ve been hearing, but worse.
Her crystalline eyes watched as the craft drifted almost effortlessly further from where the Excalibur sat.
Daniels: What are your orders, M’am?
He crossed his arms across his chest as his years of experience as a Tactical, Strategic Operations and Intelligence Officer informed his own unspoken worries. As the head of small taskforce patrolling the Tholian border, he knew that one day– probably in the very near future– The Excalibur would find themselves on the wrong side of all of that hardware.
But with a little luck, today wouldn’t be that day.
Nicholotti: Let’s send another package back to Command. Take us to a safe distance, and send the latest scans.
They had to let the fleet know what was coming, and what they would all one day be up against.
Daniels: Aye Commodore. ::To the Helm Officer:: Lieutenant M’Rek; Bring us about, nice and slow. Keep our sensor cross-section to a minimum.
Sitting back in her chair, she let her friend and first officer make the moves, her eyes never leaving the last images frozen on the screen. Soon enough they faded as the ship moved, but she was sure they would never fade from her mind.
END
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Commodore Kalianna Nicholotti
Commanding Officer
USS Excalibur-A
As simmed by:
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Commander Ash MacKenna
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Arrow
R238605KN0
And
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LtCmdr. Colt Daniels
First Officer
USS Excalibur-A
As simmed by:
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LtCmdr. Talos Dakora
First Officer
USS Artemis-A
O238811CD0