Lt. Ryden Sylvax - Rough Landing

[Ryden Kel]

((Small Conference Room - MTF Maximum Thrusters))

Ryden let his last words settle, watching how they landed rather than
rushing to fill the silence that followed. Ivalyan’s question came
quickly after... faster than her composure could quite keep up with...
and he felt the shift in her again, that tightening uncertainty
threading beneath her determination.

Ivalyan: I understand sir. I d-d-do. But...what is the mission? What
is the end g-g-goal here? Are we looking to make friends? Or are we
looking to get the c-c-c-cores to safer hands?

Ryden exhaled quietly, lowering the PADD to his side. It was a fair
question. A necessary one.

Sylvax: The mission is to stop those cores from causing harm. ::A
small pause, his tone steady but not rigid.:: How we do that matters
just as much as whether we succeed.

Willow: ?

Ivalyan pressed on, the urgency in her voice outweighing the hesitation.

Ivalyan: I feel strongly here sir. If we d-d-d-don't get the
cores...that's the worst outc-c-c-come. The Temurians are opportunists
and scavengers, and I think we m-m-m-must let them see us the same way
for the safest route. Alternatively... just b-b-buy them. They
understand c-c-commerce. This d-d-doesn't have to be more than that...

Ryden’s gaze didn’t leave her, but it softened... not dismissing, not
correcting, but grounding.

Sylvax: You’re right about one thing. ::He shifted slightly, leaning a
fraction more into the conversation.:: If we leave without the cores,
we haven’t solved the problem. ::A beat.:: But if we take them in a
way that reinforces exactly why they don’t trust outsiders… we may
create a bigger one.

Willow: ?

He let that sit for a moment before continuing, quieter now.

Ivalyan: ::looking at each officer before gluing her eyes to the
floor:: Sir...you wouldn't ask a c-c-c-counselor fresh from the
academy. What p-p-plan exists already? I want...I want to help. Sir.

Ryden didn’t hesitate this time.

Sylvax: I would. ::A slight tilt of his head, not challenging...
reassuring.:: Because you’re looking at this without assumptions the
rest of us have already started to build. ::He allowed a faint,
encouraging warmth into his tone.:: That’s not a weakness. That’s
useful.

Willow: ?

His grip on the PADD loosened slightly.

Sylvax: So help us. Not by having the perfect answer. ::His gaze held
steady on her.:: But by asking the questions the rest of us might
overlook.

Ivalyan/Willow: ?

((OOC: Moving this forward))

The first tremor rolled through the deck without warning.

It started as a low vibration beneath Ryden’s boots... subtle at
first, then building into a deeper, uneven rumble that carried through
the bulkheads. The overhead lights flickered once, steadying as the
ship adjusted its descent profile. Ryden’s attention snapped briefly
to the viewport, though there was little to see now beyond dark stone
rising up to meet them. The asteroid’s surface filled the frame...
jagged, irregular, and far less forgiving than the controlled
simulations ever suggested.

A second jolt followed, sharper this time. The inertial dampeners
caught most of it, but not all. The deck lurched just enough to force
a shift in his stance, his hand bracing instinctively against the edge
of the conference table as the ship corrected. Somewhere deeper in the
hull, a strained metallic groan echoed... short-lived, but noticeable.

They were close. Very close.

The final descent came with a heavier impact than Ryden would have
preferred. The ship settled against the uneven surface with a solid,
unmistakable thud, followed by a brief shudder that rippled through
the room before fading into stillness.

Silence followed. Not the quiet of space... but the grounded quiet of
something no longer moving.

Ryden straightened slowly, his grip easing as he glanced once more
toward the viewport. Outside, the asteroid stretched out in stark
relief;;; dark rock, scattered ice, and in the distance, faint
indications of structure. A settlement. Real, and closer now than it
had ever been.

A soft chirp from his PADD cut through the moment. Incoming comm. He
tapped it open without hesitation.

Ross: =/\= Ross to Sylvax. Are you ready to get out there? =/\=

Ryden’s gaze flicked briefly toward Haukea and Ivalyan before
answering, his tone steady despite the lingering tension in the room.

Sylvax: =/\= Just about. We’ve identified the settlement and a landing
position with minimal exposure. =/\=

A short pause.

Ross: =/\= Any chance we can get our hands on one of their traders
soon? We need more samples to make progress. =/\=

Ryden’s eyes shifted back toward the viewport, toward the distant
shapes that marked Temurian presence.

Already, the pressure was there.

Results. Progress. Samples.

He exhaled quietly before responding.

Sylvax: =/\= That’s the plan. I've been in contact with a Temurian
trader named Kiro. He is expecting our arrival. Sylvax out=/\=

Ryden lowered the PADD slowly, his gaze drifting back toward the settlement.

Sylvax: Let's suit up, civilian clothes, then we will meet at the
settlement. We are expected to meet with one of their leaders. ::he
scanned his PADD:: Her name is Leda.

Ivalyan/Willow: ??


-----
Lieutenant Ryden Sylvax
Chief Medical Officer
StarBase 118 Ops
O240109RK1