Quentin Collins: Difference between revisions

fleshing out the current mission log (QUENTIN/JUSTIN E239512QC0)
(fleshing out the current mission log (QUENTIN/JUSTIN E239512QC0))
(fleshing out the current mission log (QUENTIN/JUSTIN E239512QC0))
 
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Captain Shayne came to an unorthodox solution. They would ALL search for the Claw. Across three Away Teams. He himself would lead the First Team, to the First Continent (an icy wasteland). Commander Maz Rodan would lead the Second Team to the adjourning Continent (a dense jungle). INTEL Chief Ash MacKenna was given command of the The Third Team, Quentin's own assignment as well, alongside Counselor R'Ariel and a Security/Marine detachment. Their field of action would be The Third Continent. A dry, highly arid plateau of dunes and sporadic stone ruins. After a brief readying up period, all three Teams were away.  
Captain Shayne came to an unorthodox solution. They would ALL search for the Claw. Across three Away Teams. He himself would lead the First Team, to the First Continent (an icy wasteland). Commander Maz Rodan would lead the Second Team to the adjourning Continent (a dense jungle). INTEL Chief Ash MacKenna was given command of the The Third Team, Quentin's own assignment as well, alongside Counselor R'Ariel and a Security/Marine detachment. Their field of action would be The Third Continent. A dry, highly arid plateau of dunes and sporadic stone ruins. After a brief readying up period, all three Teams were away.  


Right away, Team Three encountered problems. An encroaching sandstorm along with slightly overzealously hungry local wildlife hampered their early advances. Advances that quickly became a footrace once evidence of another team on the Continent was found.
Right away, Team Three encountered problems. An encroaching sandstorm along with slightly overzealously hungry local wildlife hampered their early advances. Advances that quickly became a footrace once evidence of another team on the Continent was found. A team supported by a strafing Chalnoth fighter-form ship. After gaining the unlikely guide in a sand creature, the Third Team was led into a brand new biome on the planet. A sort of oasis like area dominated by lush vegetation and stone ruins, shown on Messoq's ancient map as "The Valley of Kings". Ruins that seemed to suggest deeper structures under the crust of the planet.


TBC.  
But before they could explore further, another local creature made itself known. A segmented, large-scale sandwrym disturbed by the team's steps into it's hidden sanctuary. However, before it could strike, Counselor R'Ariel "connected" with the creature as she had their first encounter. Seeing through it's outwardly hostile posturing as nothing more than protecting itself and it's newly hatched brood. Once more, however, their pursuers made themselves known. The fighter-form firing on the wrym and driving it into a destructive frenzy. It started to thrash against the ruins around them, driving the team to seek refuge in the interior of the planet. Unwittingly bringing them closer and closer to The Claw.
 
Yet another, completely different setting greeted the Third Team. A highly designed and highly detailed ossuary, filled with the moldering bones of long-dead Chalnoth. Interred with their ancient weapons and armor. As the team gained its bearings once more, strange energy signals beckoned them deeper into the chamber. As well as The Counselor picking up more and more psionic messages coming from the same direction. The path was clear. And at the end of the path, another massive, but completely intact ruin. Comparable and eerily similar to Ancient Earth's The Parthenon. Later labeled by Messoq's map as "The Tomb of The Chalnoth Ancients".
 
Keeping a sharp eye out for booby traps and scaling the ruin's immense steps, the team crept closer to it's yawning doors. But even more fascinating clues trailed along with them. Scattered gold coins and currency of various other galactic factions. In particular, The Romulan Star Empire. Finally they made the doorway and were revealed with more impossible sights. A respectfully interred line of six dead Chalnoth. All surrounded by finery, heavily decorated weapons and armor, and laid to rest with incredible amounts of wealth and riches. On the other side of the chamber, more large doorways leading deeper into the structure.
 
One of their Security detail, wishing to stay ahead of their pursuers, started forward. Finally triggering one of the booby traps Captain Messoq had warned them about. Thankfully, Quentin was slightly quicker on the draw, bundling up the officer and hauling him backward right before a pendulous scything blade swept the whole of the inner chamber. The situation went from bad to worse as noise drew the team to look back. Only in time to see their pursuing Chalnoth had made the inner chamber. Mainly thanks to the heavy concussive weapons of Breen Weaponeers, who had been providing ground support apparently.
 
The footrace now had higher stakes. MacKenna ordered the whole team across the chamber, keeping a keen eye out for trap triggers and using the vast mountains of treasure as cover. Thankfully, their flight was without incident, though The Counselor seemed to be more and more disturbed as they continued deeper. Finding yet another ossuary, but the bodies seemed to be more like the bodies in the front chamber. More armor and weapons, but now with more interior chambers and corridors, suggesting a larger superstructure to the whole complex. But this inner chamber had something the others didn't. Signs of life. As well as a source to those psionic energies the Team had experienced since planetfall.
 
Quickly they realized why. Across one of the adjourning chambers was another, bathed in a deep rose-gold light and the noise of smithy. The Team investigated to find a vast forge, littered with perfect copies of The Claw. A hulking, wizened Chalnoth Guard presiding over the whole scene. As they tried to negotiate and state their intentions, The Guard seemed to zero in on The Counselor. Interacting with her exclusively and through psychic contact alone. So much so, he "banished" MacKenna and Collins and their SEC detail out of the chamber. Putting up some sort of barrier between themselves and the outer chamber. And for good measure, a collection of ghostly manifestations of Chalnoth Honour Guards. Ready and waiting to strike.
 
And strike they would, but not our Team. As the scene settled, the Breen and Anti-Royalist Forces smashed through the outer wall. Two of the Breen made the first move, but it would be their undoing. As the wraith guards pounced, taking them even before they could bring their weapons to bear. A fraught standstill followed. The Team pleaded with the Anti-Royalists, imploring some sort of compromise or diplomatic solution to the fracas. No joy there, however, but it drove the team to explore...unconventional solutions.
 
Spurned on by Counselor R'Ariel's psychic pleas, Quentin formed a sort of psionic circuit with the rest of the team. Driving and directing them to project their positive intentions and altruistic goals as to gaining The Claw. After more tense moments, the gambit worked! Bringing down the psychic shields of The Guard and proving Counselor R'Ariel (and the Team as a whole) as worthy to hold The Claw. But there was still the matter of the Anti-Royalists. Who demanded The Claw as soon as the Team regrouped.
 
But unbeknownst to them, contact with the rest of the teams and the ship above had been restored. And Quentin wasn't about to give up their prize this early. Pitching another gambit, calling for an "emergency medical transport", The Third Team was finally reunited with the First and Second. Right as both factions of Chalnoth rushed toward conflict. But Captain Shayne had seen and heard enough.
 
Calling both factions to the comms, he had made his determination based on the way the search had gone. He called for the Arrow to LEAVE the sector, taking The Claw with them. Keeping it just out of reach of both factions and keeping it that way unless real progress had been made in their regimes. From there, The Captain ordered them to depart the system at high warp. Finally deciding further to take one [[Myssa T'Vaz]] up on her offer for repair and restock at [[Forward Refit Station-1]].
 
It is the opinion(s) of these program(s) that LTCMDR. Quentin Collins has made a full transition back to his "real self". Both as Chief Science Officer and regular duty officer, keeping his emotions in check on and off mission and providing welcome support to his fellow Arrow officer. However, it is also of the opinion(s) of these program(s) that LTCMDR. Quentin Collins continues to overvalue his peers' opinion and emotional connection with him as a person and superior officer. Could these personal feelings continue to bloom, Chief Collins could risk losing objectivity and thus the respect of his peers. 
 
FURTHER ANYLSIS REQUIRES FURTHER INPUT


*((see attached for technical specification of S.C.O.E's Project XV))   
*((see attached for technical specification of S.C.O.E's Project XV))