Lt. Cmdr. Lhandon Nilsen - The Sword Of Damocles Is Hanging Over My Head
Lhandon Nilsen
(( Bridge, Deck 1, USS Tizona ))
Everything had been ready to take the Tizona down to the planet through the sudden winter storm to find out what had happened to the colony. The colony’s inhabitants outnumbered the Tizona’s evacuation capacity, and transporting had not seemed to be an option. The plan had been to land the ship, open the doors, and conduct triage or repairs as needed.
But a complication had arisen. There had been a suggestion, one that needed more evidence to confirm, that the storm might not have been a freak natural event, but rather something created by someone.
Lhandon had given the word that he was readyady.
Nilsen: Course set. Atmospheric controls at standby, landing struts online, inertial dampeners at maximum capacity, awaiting orders, Cap.
Varik: Execute. Bring us down, Commander.
He announced that, due to the low visibility, Lhandon’s only option was to fly by instruments. He had already asked Zalix to handle it, and they had done so perfectly. He had all the tools at his disposal, including an ILS system the computer used to guide them to the location he had chosen: Landing Site Beta, the one Varik had teased was the easy option, the cheeky so-and-so.
Most ports that required landings already had a series of visual and audible cues to help with approach angles, including localisers and marker beacons. If they were landing somewhere unexpected, Hopes and Pyres would have been the system they used.
Varik: Lieutenant, sensor resolution will improve on approach. Identify any indicators of change in the storm pattern. We will want warning before it shifts again.
Zalix: Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.
Lhandon had nothing else to report, so he brought the Tizona into the atmosphere. They could all see on the viewscreen thick clouds, heavy, black, and pendulous, hovering above the colony. He saw them arranged in a tight, organised circle, as though they were nested inside one another. They did not look natural. They looked as if someone had placed them there with a machine. He could not recall the name of the clouds. He only knew they were the kind no one should have flown a starship into.
He was going to do it anyway. As they approached the edge of the system, the Tizona gave a slight rumble, as if she were getting into a minor altercation with the atmosphere and giving back as good as she got.
Varik: Once we land, hand off your stations. We are the away team. Equip cold weather survival gear and armaments.
Zalix: Aye, sir.
Nilsen: Acknowledged
He mentally prepared the procedure to secure the ship upon landing.
Varik: We are the sword. We will not fail.
Zalix: Why a sword?
Zalix had blurted out the question with all the joy and enthusiasm a new crewmember might have shown. It brought a smile to him. He used to do the same, and many of his old friends, especially those on the Thor, would remember the more reckless chaos goblin he had been as an ensign.
Nilsen: It’s the name of the ship, it’s a type of sword. He loves his theatre studies expect more Shakespeare from him.
Lhandon gave a little light tease
Varik: Response
As Lhandon flew the USS Tizona through Calsa 3’s atmosphere, a brief idea came to him, an idea to complicate things. What if he had reconfigured things to bring in what the OEB crew considered their sister ship, the USS Thor? Maybe it could have been a dramatic twist. Perhaps it could have loomed overhead to render aid, and Trake Promontory, the ship’s commanding officer, could have stood in a wide, strong pose, hands on their waist, putting one foot on a console, a chair, or some poor unfortunate ensign as they opened hailing frequencies.
“Do not fear, the Thor is here! HaHUR!”
Zalix: Apologies. Perhaps you… could tell me later.
Nilsen: He runs a tight ship. Inertial dampeners at 75%; they’re keeping us steady. We’re on the glude trajetory, aleterude, 120,000 kliomenter, speed 10000 kph,
Varik: Response
He let that thought of the Thor fizzle away, partly because he was not going to ruin Varik's assessment with some hyperbolic twist, partly because he did not know Trake as well as he knew Avander and wondered why the brother of his XO was now living in his head rent free, but mostly because if he thought any more about the Thor, he would have been hit with a pang of sadness, the kind that made you stop for a moment, lower your head, and sigh.
The people who had made him so happy in his life, the ones he had laughed the loudest with, shed tears with, and bled for, were mostly on the Thor, with only a few left at home. Morro was the first that came to mind. Next to Tox, he had considered him a bro; it had been too long since they last spoke. Saa, too; she had helped when he was vulnerable, when his mind was working against him. Josh, that brief crush that had turned into respect; the two were almost different sides of the same coin, in a way. And of course, Ay, the old friend.
Zalix: Crosswind shear developing off the port quarter. Fifteen seconds. The first turbulence cell will push us hard to port before the downdraft stabilizes.
His console beeped to confirm the same thing.
Nilsen: Compensating. Bringing the nose five degrees to starboard.
Lhandon did just that; he yawed the nose of the ship to starboard into the shear so the sideways push translated into a forward track rather than a pull. He also fed the lateral thrusters to compensate for the downdraft. Although there was still a bump, and the seats and bridge rattled and bounced, it was not enough to send the ship wildly off course.
Varik: Response
Then a roaring sound came from an energy discharge at the back of the bridge, nothing an ops officer could not have fixed by rerouting power. The bright spark and noise were enough to put Janeway’s hair slightly out of place.
Nilsen: Twenty kilometres to the landing site; we should be able to see it now.
On the viewscreen, very little could be seen: mostly cloud and the nose of the Sabre-class, where the shuttle bays were. Even that was licked by the fog. Meanwhile, on his display, his setup was working; he was headed for as smooth an approach to Site Beta as one could manage.
Varik/Zalix: Response
Nilsen: Landing struts down and locked.
As he did that, he also released the internal dampeners and adjusted them to match the planet’s gravity. The sound of the struts could be heard through the ship as the Sword chose not to be subtle. Outside, large landing gear extended from the ship and then widened.
Varik/Zalix: Response
Lhandon brought the ship down, the struts clamped with another loud glump, and the ship settled as its weight spread across the landing gear.
Nilsen: Disengaging engines, circuiting thruster exhausts ::the ship gives one final clump:: and we’re down.
The Tizona made a quieter clamour as it completed its landing, as if it were resting at the end of a long day and taking off its shoes.hoes.
Nilsen: Heh, not bad for someone picking the easy option.
Varik/Zalix: Response
The colony could barely be seen through the snowy mist, even using the height of the bridge as an aid. A central structure rose up, with four towers at each corner. From the schematics, he knew this was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, as the colony had taken advantage of the easy-to-dig soil and strong foundations to build downwards as well. That left the surrounding hills and valleys available for farming and kept the colony self-sufficient.
Tags/TBC
Lieutenant Commander Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
Executive Officer & Senior Diplomatic Officer
USS Octavia E Butler
O240007LN1
He/Him/His (Both player and character)