Randal Shayne/Professional History: Difference between revisions

'''[[Silent Night (Darwin-A)]]''' Shayne's first mission aboard also turned out to be one of the strangest. A catastrophic malfunction of the life support systems necessitated the immediate evacuation of the entire crew. With limited notice and a ship that was rapidly becoming uninhabitable, Captain [[Renos]] ordered all hands to abandon ship, and seek refuge on a nearby Class M planet, populated by a pre-industrial civilization. Because of the extreme distance between the crew and any sort of outside Federation assistance, all hands were encouraged to take up some sort of employment, in order to sustain themselves while help made the journey to the Delta Quadrant. Shayne's reclusive nature and tendency to prefer isolated settings led him to take on the unfortunate position of nightman. During his time there, he encountered a sickly young girl who was suffering from a deadly infection, brought on by a botched amputation. Compassion immediately overrode his commitment to the Prime Directive, and he insisted on bringing the poor girl into the warmth of his cabin, shared by three others. Shayne nearly exposed their true identities to the girl as a result of his actions, but Doctor Graeme Cook was able to operate and save the girl from the infection, without giving away their status as aliens. For his actions on the surface of Turisan II, Shayne was awarded that Captain's Commendation, something he still doesn't understand fully to this day.

'''[[Awakening (Darwin-A)]]'''  Borg. Lovely. Shayne had suspected that being stationed on the Collective's back door would lead to some close calls, but inwardly he'd hoped that such an encounter might be avoided. No such luck. Communications had picked up a Borg transponder signal nearby, and the Darwin-A was ordered to investigate. Upon arriving at the planet in question, PR-652, sensors reported a strange phenomenon- a cloud, miles across, rising from the surface, and approaching the ship. After a short time, it became clear that said cloud was composed solely by Borg nanites- trillions of them. Fleet Captain Renos ordered that First Officer Maxwell Traenor take a team to the surface, to scan for other Borg lifesigns, and to assess the situation. Shayne was assigned to that team. After a bumpy start, the team finally made it to the surface, finding the world a scorched, barren wasteland. An investigation revealed the presence of a Borg crash sight. A highly unusual sight awaited them. One barely functioning Borg drone was attempting to re-assimilate another equally damaged drone- with little success. The team slowly realized that the nanites in space had left the bodies of the drones. As such, their bodies were collapsing, and their minds- as they soon found- were beginning to reassert themselves.  

'''[[The Ties That Bind (Darwin-A)]]''' Shayne didn't realize there was to be a mission until it was sprung upon the crew. His captain, a runaway J'naii pursued by his own people for failing to adhere to the general consensus that their species should be genderless, was captured by a traitor in their midst. For many months, Iy, another J'naii taken under Renos' wing, had been a loyal and helpful member of the staff. However, this facade was quickly dropped when the opportunity presented itself. Spiriting Renos away to a waiting J'naii starship, the mutinous backstabber proceeded to begin torturing Renos, attempting to reprogram his "deviant" beliefs. Meanwhile, aboard the Darwin, evidence was quickly indicating that a massive problem was present. Renos and Iy were missing, and as both had no shortage of enemies, it was logical to conclude that something or someone had happened to them. The search lasted several weeks, with the Darwin just barely managing to keep up behind the far more stealthy J'naii vessel. All the while, Renos was subjected to miserable interrogations and force-fed psychoactive drugs, in the hopes of disorientating the fleet captain. At last, the Starfleet crew cornered the escaping vessel, and began to engage them. Iy's status as a trusted member of the crew had afforded nem plenty of oppurtunities to tamper with the starship's functionality. All it took was a simple code, sent into the right system, and the Darwin crew found that their shields had been neutralized without a shot being fired. The battering then began, and while the science departments and engineers scrambled to find some way to correct the sabotage, Shayne was left with little choice but to try and dodge, weave, evade and avoid all the incoming weapons fire that he could. The damage being dealt to the science vessel was considerable, and, though he tried valiantly, the bulbous fish bowl with nacelles was nigh impossible to maneuver. WIth more and more damage shattering the starship's hull all the time, the scientists finally managed to raise the shields. Now it was on. With protection from the incoming fire, Shayne was able to coordinate with tactical officer Logan, and smash through the enemy's shields with blast after blast of well-placed phaser fire. Without warning, the battlefield became ripe with subspace anomalies, another worry to the helmsman. A particularly powerful shot from the phaser array set the J'naii starship adrift, and with it's disabled engines, the small craft found itself being inexorably pulled into the pocket of anomalies. All aboard knew that, as Starfleet officers, they were obligated to try and save the traitor's life, regardless of their (understandably intense) desires toward the contrary. However, the ruined state of the Darwin's engines and structural frame meant that any attempt to rescue the traitor was out of the question. They could only watch as Iy drifted into the anomalies, where ne was quickly winked out of existence. Meanwhile, a search and retrieve mission to find Renos successfully brought the tortured J'naii back to safety.

'''[[Fishing (Darwin-A)]]''' After the rushed events of the past months, Shayne was delighted to hear that the next task of the Darwin would involve principally exploration and research. Shayne was ordered to set a course for the Raikenoff's Folly Neubula. All aboard realized the risk of this particular assignment- the last time the crew had been within the confines of the nebula, a pitched battle had taken place. The crew had barely come through in one piece, and although the threat was thought to have been eliminated for the time being, caution was the name of the game. A first contact situation quickly arose, with the inhabitants of the nebula contacting the shuttle, almost perfectly coinciding with engine trouble, which steadily developed as time went on. In addition, the crew began to become emotionally unstable. Shayne experienced uncontrollable rage, and because the man who had been angering him since they'd met was aboard, and insulting him, Shayne quite nearly ripped his head off. But he restrained himself-barely- and continued the first contact procedures with the guidance of Ren Rennyn, the mission's commander. At the end of the debacle, the shuttle returned home, much to the relief of all aboard.

The first mission of the Andaris Task Force was hardly expected. Unbenownst to anyone at the time, a particularly expansive and dangerous plant had been placed aboard Deep Space. The spores, once released into the air filtration system, caused anyone who inhaled them to fall into a deep slumber. Unfortunately, most of the senior command staff, including Fleet Captain Renos, Commander Varaan, and Commander Rennyn, were onboard at the time. As the effects of the plant's influence became more noticable, Varaan just barely managed to declare an emergency quarantine, before the station's 25,000 inhabitants were rendered unconscious. Commander Brell, the highest ranking officer still functioning, assembled teams to explore the problem. Shayne, along with Ensign Logan, Lt. J.G Lambert, and Commander Kael Thomas, boarded the station in full isolation gear. As they wandered the dark corridors, they encountered numerous sleeping personnel. While some had taken hard falls, and had sustained injuries as a result, none were life-threatening (at least, none that Shayne could see). Eventually, the team located a dark and spindly root clinging along a bulkhead. Almost as they watched, the root lengthened and grew. The speed at which the plant was growing was unprecidented, and despite efforts to identify its species, no member of the party had seen such a life form before- even the tricorders were unhelpful. As they continued forward, more gnarled plant material greeted them, increasing in size and abundance. Soon they reached the door they needed to enter, but the plant had completely ensconsed the entry. With extreme caution, the team used phasers to slice their way through, painfully aware that the plant might react. To their great relief, the plant made no change in its behaivor, continuing to expand as if nothing had happened. However, while attempting to ascertain the status of the station, an energy beam sliced through the air. Commander Thomas gave chase, but could not find the intruder. Meanwhile, Shayne and the rest of the team, coordinating with other personnel on the station, the ''Darwin'', and an alien starship, managed to rid the station of the plant. With the help of the medical personnel, and Lieutenant Commander Nicu Icavoc's plant-like immune system, all unconscious individuals on the station were brought back to reality.

Despite being transferred the mission previous, this was Shayne's first chance to helm the Intrepid Class. His excitement was profound, as the prospect of flying a ship with as much history, and as much maneuverability, as the ''Atlantis''. Arriving near the war-torn planet of Kiros III to contribute to relief efforts, Shayne quickly found himself piloting one of Starfleet's advanced shuttles, investingating underground disturbances. The newly appointed CO, Commander Emery Rhyn, and the recently arrived Ensign Kaidun found themselves in a precarious situation when, upon landing on an unstable plateau near a river of lava, Shayne encountered difficulty taking off again. The danger was compounded by the unstable nature of the planet's crust. In the nick of time, the three person crew managed to effect an escape.  

Shayne's first command of an away team was a fraught undertaking, and one he'd not soon forget. Responding to a distress call from the mining colony of Debin VII, Shayne was ordered to lead a party down to the surface to investigate. A plague had struck the colony, and its excessively lethal and contagious qualities meant that a failure to find a cure could concievably infect dozens, if not hundreds of worlds throughout the Partha Expanse. Under no pressure at all, Shayne, Ensign G'Renn, Lieutenant Commander R'Ven and Lieutenant Cook set up shop on the seemingly lifeless world, and took stock of the situation. R'Ven quickly noticed that the only apparent living organisms were a certain type of insect, something Shayne ordered the Rodulan man to look into. Meanwhile, an infected patient, clearly delusional and in great agony, approached the tent begging for aide. While Shayne was glad to give it- that was their mission, after all- the miner's actions, irratic and uncontrolled as they were, posed a threat to them all. Indeed, a single breach of one of their environmental suits would expose them to the deadly contaminant that surrounded them. With reluctance, Shayne ordered Doctor G'Renn to prepare to stun the rampaging man. Eventually, however, the Klingon/Vulcan hybrid managed to calm the individual down enough to allow her to treat him. Shayne would never forget the order he'd given, nor the shocked reactions of his party.  

Shayne's appointment to second officer was undeniably a joyful moment for him, but it was undercut slightly by a change in command. He'd learned long ago that, despite the rigorous and ever-changeable nature of Starfleet, changes in command were a most disagreeable occurance for him. Unfortunately, the new captain, a Catian named S'Ranna, detected this attitude, and pulled Shayne aside. While the human fully expected a total dressing down from the stern and whiskered man, S'Ranna simply tried to understand Shayne's feelings on the matter. An earnest heart to heart ensued, and Shayne left the conference room with further respect for his new CO.  

Their first mission under S'Ranna's command was an unusual affair- essentially, they were attempting to open up business negotiations with a highly prolific and seriously powerful company in the Expanse, known as Taventa Robotics. The salesman for the corporation presented a great many products for sale, some of which bordered dangerously on the realm of good taste or even ethical treatment. As this was going on, and Shayne was performing the dubious honor of acting as host, the bridge recieved a garbled distress call from a crippled Blackwell. As the Atlantis breaks off negotiations to help, Blackwell's status deteriorates. She has suffered severe damage, and warp engines are offline. As the Atlantis pulled up to assist, two other ships appear, and one fires on the other, destroying it. It is quickly found to be a Taventa starship, and that the cause of the Blackwell's accident is a collision with a Taventa mine. Shayne wasted no time in demanding an explanation in perhaps the least diplomatic tone possible, but no satisfactory answer was forthcoming. As the Taventa ship turns tail, the Atlantis manages to deactivate the minefield the Blackwell found itself ensnared in. Shayne was ordered to beam over and take command of the bridge while the exhausted crew got some rest. Shayne would never forget the damage he observed on the bridge of the Blackwell, and the injuries that resulted. The following four days were grueling, but he gained a new respect for command, and the labors of the crew.  

Shayne has often thanked his lucky stars that he was not born to a telepathic species, and this occasion was no exception. While the crew of both the Atlantis and the Blackwell recover from the previous mission's debilitating events, a virus runs rampant throughout the corridors of the Andaris Task Force. An ailment that breaks down the psychological walls in all crewmembers capable of telepathic communication or activity soon begins to wreak havoc. As Shayne and others notice something deeply disturbing and, at that time, unexplicable, another matter arrested their attention. Small clues pointed to a very different sort of disease plaguing their midst; a computer virus, ostensibily the courtesy of Taventa Robotics. Shayne's closeness with starships meant that this attack was not only an assault on the Blackwell, but a personal attack on him. Vengefully, and with the aid of others, including the fiancee of Nathanial Wilmer, the virus was purged permenantly. Further scrutiny would reveal the same virus as a factor in the Blackwell's minefield accident not a month before. Before they could rest easy, Shayne and the others found further evidence of elicit tampering- this time, taking the form of a physical piece of equipment attached to their secondary hull. An EV excursion was the only way to approach the situation, despite Shayne's reticence about space walks and Charlotte Farnsworth's tempermental stomach. Shayne, Farnsworth, Thoran and Dr. Yesna exited the vessel, and effected delicate repairs. Further study revealed the contraption to be a communications device, one designed to transmit signals into deep space and to an unknown location. Due to the uncertain nature of the device in question, Yesna suggested a beaming into space. However, upon the attempt, the device was destroyed in the beam, removing any evidence of the tampering, but also removing the problem. Shortly afterward, the ship's ample medical facilities managed to siphon a cure, and the ATF continued, though a great deal more wearily then before.  

Shayne considers his ability to operate both on his own and with a team a small point of pride, and has such, resents any kind of teambuilding excercise. That resentment expands in direct proportion to the level of sillyness the teambuilding excercise requires him to tolerate. So as one might imagine, an activity that would require him to masquarade as some sort of mythological creature with people he considered colleagues and comrades was met with nothing but apprehension and disgust from the second officer. This feeling was only exacerbated when Shayne learned that his close friend, Lieutenant Jarred Thoran, had written the program. However, his expectations were utterly subverted. The work Thoran had put into his medieval setting was profound, and soon enough, Shayne found that he was enjoying his quest, despite the ludicrous circumstances. A fluffy bear companion only helped to seal the deal. With his "away team" working on puzzles and fighting beasts, Shayne was lost in the fantasy, while at the same time leaning on his Starfleet training to help with certain situations. However, as with literally every holographic simulation in history, the fun (and the safety protocals) met their end. The program, in a stunning display of luck, refused to disengage, even with the protocals offline. Shayne and the others were forced to face the final boss, incuring any injury they were not fortunate enough to have absorbed. In particular, Thoran took a painful arrow to the knee before the program could be shut down permenantly.  

Minor dealings with the less desirable aspects of the Par'tha Expanse allowed Shayne a peak into the brutality that existed in this region of space. The Valcarians dealt cruelty and oppression with ravenous and perpetual glee for the harm they inflicted. Perhaps the most memorable example of this for Shayne might be found during his voyage to the planet Arndall, of the House Tadere. Upon their arrival, the Blackwell found a world under assault. Brutal ground attacks by Valcarian troops layed waste to much of the planet's surface, and an all but impenetrable blockade withheld support from above. Called to action on a mission of mercy, the Blackwell deployed a number of shuttles filled to the brim with medical personnel and equipment, ready to render aid to those affected. The political situation above, meanwhile, continued it's rapid decent. High Preistess Glovelyn, the governer of Arndall and a supremely unpleasant individual, sat down with Lieutenant General Asil of the Valcarian Empire (by all accounts, an equally unpleasant individual) only at the behest of Commander Whittaker, who, with the aid of Ambassador at Large Kalianna Nicholotti, would attempt to prevent further warfare. Meanwhile, Shayne was relegated to the bridge, as his position of second officer made appropriate. However, Shayne had only ever held command during short spats of peace. Now, the inexperienced officer was placed in a position of serious strain- as a war raged around them, and the negotiations deteriorated with comperablely destructive results, even the slightest error in judgement could result in disastrous consequences for all concerned. Shayne occupied himself by maintaining as accurate a sensor lock on the away teams as humanly possible. This was a fortunate coping mechanism, as it permitted the second officer to take note when a series of distinct seismic disturbances rocked the world below.  

Further analysis led to an incredible discovery. The seizmic occurances were not, as previously suspected, results of the bombardment the Valcarians had subjected the planet to in their campaign. These intense, focused and continuous disruptions were the result of an alien race stirring beneath the crust of Arndall. High Priestess Glovelyn identified the trespassers as Kam'Jahtae- mere stories, or so she had been led to believe. Their kind had not been seen in millenia, but for whatever reason, their rest had been disrupted. In the midst of excruciating tension, hundreds, thousands, ''millions'' of Kam'Jahtae ascended to the surface, and began their own destructive crusade against the ravaged planet. This time, however, both Caraadians and Valcarians were targets, and the surprising nature of the assault left even the heavily armed troops under Asil's control vulnerable and exposed to the slaughter. Among the abject chaos, the Blackwell intercepts a garbaled communication signal from Arndall itself. To Shayne's abject astonishment, the sender was one Lieutenant Commander Mirra Ezo, on leave from Starfleet, and holed up in an utterly trashed Caraadian medical center. Unable to beam anyone aboard directly, Shayne asked Ezo to meet with Lieutenant Commander Adyr's away team for her own protection.  

Shayne's concerns were far from over, however. An insubordinate ensign, Lewis Little, proceeded to disable the primary computer by ordering a Level 1 diagnostic of all command subroutines. Not only was this act entirely unauthroized, but it left the Blackwell entirely defenseless for nearly half an hour. It was a gaffe that Shayne would not easily forgive, and it further complicated matters, both aboard the starship and on the surface. As the away teams fought to stay alive against the endless onslaught of insectoid invaders, resorting to violence and stalling techniques where necessary, diplomatic efforts administrated by Whittaker and Nicholotti were beginning to have some small effect. At the same time, members of the crew began devising ways to conquer their unexpected foe, and realized their exoskeletal carapices might be the biological fraility needed to leverage victory. By sending a high powered energy pulse directly from the main deflector, the Kam'Jahtae suddenly found themselves in extreme discomfort. A mass exodus then began, with thousands of ships taking to the sky. Instead of engaging the surrounding Valcarian blocade, the retreating ships simply opened an energy protal of some sort and vanished from the system.  

Trouble for the crew of the ''Columbia'' began even before their arrival in the Sagittarius Reach. As Shayne became acquainted with his new home, Captain Whittaker, who had served aboard the ''Columbia'' several years previously, decided to take advantage of his new command's advanced technology and additions. His first choice was the captain's yacht. Without Shayne's knowledge- something that chafed at the man for weeks after Whittaker's launch- the captain filed a flight plan, assembled a small escort team composed of his personal aide and a security crewmember, and took flight. Newly promoted Executive Officer Jarred Thoran, meanwhile, still acclimating to his role, became concerned when the yacht failed to return at the proper time. Upon detailed scanning of the region, sensors picked up three distinct signals from the area of a single planet; one was the automated distress call from the yacht, the second was a repeating message from a different source, and a third eminated from orbit. Shayne was charged with one of the two teams sent to locate Whittaker. Transporters were functional but not advisable, given the circumstances, and Shayne elected to fly his team to the surface in a shuttlecraft. Upon reaching the atmosphere, the shuttle sustained some manner of damage that Shayne could not immediately identify. The landing was rough but otherwise harmless. Severe damage had been sustained to one of the nacelles, and while it would be a relatively simple matter to repair the issues, the heat within the pylon itself, the result of a ruptured plasma conduit, made immediate repairs impossible. Instead, Shayne led his team to the dome-like structure on the horizon, an hour's walk away. However, the sandy conditions were brutal, and it was soon discovered that the team was suffering from radiation poisoning- specifically, beta radiation, generally found in early forms of nuclear fusion. A primative society lived here, and as Shayne made contact with one member of the species, it quickly dawned on the group that these were Augments. During a difficult meeting, in which one of his men was thrown around like a rag doll, Shayne and others managed to convince their contact to take them to his leaders. Meanwhile, in space, the discovery of several ships, including a DY-100 and a 'Steamrunner' class vessel. As the starship crew explored the depths of those vessels, Shayne and co. were confronted with the far more dubious leader of the Augment colony. To the team's dismay, the leader threw their Augment guide to the ground, and ended his life with a brutal snap of the neck. The leader than turned to them and ordered them to retreat, but Shayne was now convinced the captain was at the mercy of these creatures. As they returned to the shuttle, Shayne prepared a furtive rescue effort. As he and Sanara Pran beamed into the colony, using the transporter enhancers on the shuttle, the other team seeking Whittaker announced that they'd located the subject of their hunt. That team was beamed back, and upon learning this, a rather sheepish Shayne, along with the rest of his party, effected a rapid return to ''Columbia''.  

Distraught at this most abrupt transfer, Shayne arrived grumpy and miserable. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding him and the new position he had been assigned to, Shayne found it difficult to get into the spirit of the launch of his new vessel, the ''Eagle''. Arriving in the Aavaro Wilds, ''Eagle'' came across an alien starship which appeared to be engaged in humanitarian operations. The planet they orbited was suffering from an enormous and lethal plague, one that was decimating its population. Shayne, along with several other officers, was sent to the alien vessel, which belonged to a species known as the Mithgiln. While they began preliminary first contact procedures, information regarding the continued degradation of the planet below them. A dam, responsible for the containment of millions of gallons of seawater, was very near complete collapse. Its destruction would undoubtedly result in the death of thousands of planet inhabitants, who lived directly in harm's way. Paired with the humorous and playful Irina Pavlova, Shayne and a team of engineers beamed down to address the situation at the dam. Meanwhile, ''Eagle'' discovered the presence and interferance of cybernetic organsisms. These organisms, while not associated with the Borg, nevertheless possessed a hive mentality, and were, among other devious tasks, sabotaging the dam itself. While Pavlova dealt with the interlopers, Shayne noted that the dam was breaking, and would require an immediate solution. Quickly, he called for a slab of transparant aluminum to be lowered over the ever-growing crack in the dam. However, while a work bee was able to bring the slab down, placing it correctly, and then welding it on, would require two humanoids in diving suits. Shayne and Pavlova volunteered, and as Shayne worked to weld the slab in place, Pavlova fought off a number of enemy beings who had intercepted them. Both officers sustained fairly damaging injuries, and Shayne managed to have them both beamed to Sickbay, along with a tidal wave of seawater.

To be continued...