Randal Shayne/Professional History
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| USS Gemini • Dakota class |
With no small amount of trepidation, Shayne came aboard the Starship Gemini, in the middle of an unmitigated crisis. With no other dedicated helmsman available, Shayne was thrust into the center seat during combat. After the events surrounding his initial boarding, Shayne began to settle into the rhythm of life aboard the Gemini. Friends were made, and Shayne was eventually promoted to the rank of Lieutenant J.G. Captain Frost, Shayne's first commanding officer, was instrumental in his early career, offering a steady hand and a sympathetic ear to the young helmsman. Shayne made several additional friends during his time there, and looks back on his first vessel with great fondness.
The Hunt for the Spartan (Gemini)- The Gemini was engaged in a search and capture operation when Shayne came aboard. The Federation Starship Spartan had gone rogue, and, with enough firepower to blast apart a planet, and a cloaking device to cover their tracks, Captain Jeremy Clarkson began terrorizing the Klingon Empire's outer territories. Eventually, the Gemini and the Klingon ship sent to track the runaway captain found Clarkson and each began to try and recover him. As discussed below, Shayne was barely able to achieve the goal of the mission and retrieve the war criminal Clarkson. With the situation resolved, the Gemini beat a hasty retreat to the nearest safe port of call.
Filling the Void (Gemini)- After the events of the pervious mission, the Gemini was moving back into Federation territory. Along the way, an unidentified anomaly suddenly knocked out virtually ever power system aboard. While Shayne was confined to the bridge with several of his superiors, tempers began to flare. The impressionable ensign was caught in the middle of a different kind of fight than he'd been trained to handle. Meanwhile, the starship began to lose even emergency power. With force fields dropping all around the ship, and several people trapped in the shuttlebay, Shayne and Lt. Braddock attempted to save who they could. Shayne, Braddock, and several other crewmembers barely escaped death.
It was in the aftermath of this mission that Shayne was promoted to Lieutenant J.G.
The Deafening Silence (Gemini)- With the anomaly that had crippled Gemini behind them, the crew continued onto their original mission. Finding a functional but abandoned starship, the intrepid crew boarded it. There, the investigation took a turn for the worst. Finding a sole survivor, the crew comes to realize that the star base was experimenting with subspace. An accident created the anomaly that the Gemini crew came across, and effectively neutralized the crew of the star base. The danger was still quite prevalent, and the crew was ordered to abandon the star base. Using the same tactic they'd used to escape the energy draining anomaly, they'd attempt to collapse the subspace breach that surrounded the star base.
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| USS Apollo-A • Odyssey class |
When the Gemini was decommissioned, Shayne was heartbroken. Angry and distraught, Shayne reluctantly took a position aboard the Starship Apollo-A. The jump from medium cruiser to a starship the size of the Odyssey class was disorienting at best. Still, Shayne tried his best to manage. Before the crew could even begin their first mission, they came across another anomaly that inhibited the starship's function. Chaos ensued, with Shayne suffering a painful and deep laceration before the starship managed to extricate itself. But before Shayne could actually join the crew on the first mission, he was reassigned.
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| USS Triumphant • Defiant class |
Operation Bright Arrow (Darwin-A) Shayne's first goal is to serve the fleet in any way he can. When he heard that a special exploratory/ search and retrieve mission was being undertaken, and that one of the two starships to participate in the mission needed a helmsman, Shayne jumped at the chance. It was during this mission that Shayne was first given command of the bridge, if only for a few minutes. This is also where his friendship with Varaan began to take shape. After accomplishing their mission (searching for the criminal Raikenoff) Shayne was offered a position onboard the Darwin-A as her helmsman. Despite his short time aboard, Shayne felt a deep connection to his vessel.
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| USS Darwin-A • Horizon class |
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.
Outpost Unity (Darwin-A) With the events that took place on Turisan II behind them the crew began a much more happy duty; beginning a cooperative effort to establish the first stationary Federation presence in the Delta Quadrant. Shayne and the crew worked together with Talaxian engineers and officials to create Outpost Unity, an enormous station, built for both civilian and Starfleet use. The facility was bound to a Dyson Sphere, where a previous Talaxian colony had been destroyed by an invading threat known as the Numiri. As part of the building process, Shayne, Todd Manius, and Talaxian observer Praxo were ordered to observe what they could of the unexplored sections of the Dyson Sphere. During that particular assignment, a minor disruption in the shuttle's thruster assembly caused all three pilots to crash unceremoniously into the enormous sphere. All three managed to escape without serious injury. While Shayne was being treated for a badly broken nose, a slight overdose of painkillers caused him to exhibit extremely joyous emotions, bordering on a drunken stupor. It was here that he announced that his attending physician, Isabel Pond, was "pretty." In no other point in history has such a drug overdose resulted in something so fantastically positive.
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 group of Borg had lost contact with the hive mind, and were confused- dangerously so. A shield was activated, preventing the shuttle from leaving. The team set about attempting to disable it. While Lieutenant Logan set off an explosion to distract the Borg, Shayne and Lieutenant Brell proceeded to approach the now unmanned command center. To their horror, they came across another half-functioning drone, asking for their help. Despite their better judgment, Shayne and Brell attempted to communicate with it, and ask for its help. Highly suspicious, it refused to help them in their endeavors at first. However, after realizing that the Human-Bolian duo was not a threat, Six of Seven, as she had identified herself as, lowered the shields surrounding their shuttle. Traenor, Logan, and the two officers, along with Six of Seven, converged on the shuttle, but Commander Traenor refused to bring the unstable drone with them. Shayne protested this decision with great heat, and bordered on gross insubordination, before reluctantly relenting and leaving her there. Mere hours later, Renos ordered the entire planet scoured of all life, to prevent the Borg from resurfacing there.
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.
Sphere Today, Gone Tomorrow (Darwin-A) The Dyson Sphere upon which Outpost Unity was based had since been closed to the Starfleet crew. Beyond surface scans, the sphere was completely inaccessible to them. Until it wasn't. With an (extremely) limited time frame, the crew was divided into teams of three and four, in order to better cover the terrain. Commander Brell, Lieutenant Logan, and Shayne were transported into one of the chambers within. Chaos ensued, with the sphere playing tricks on them, almost like a sentient being. Before they could get far, however, the sphere began to close, and an immediate extraction was required.
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.
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| USS Atlantis • Intrepid class |
Sleep Tight (Andaris Task Force)
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.
The Bulls vs the Rams (Andaris Task Force)
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.
In Sickness and in Death (Andaris Task Force)
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. Later on, Shayne and G'Renn ventured into the weakened cave system of the mining colony in order to find samples. Both set about finding materials to study, when the cave system began to collapse. With not a moment to spare, Shayne demanded that G'Renn get the samples to R'Ven and Cook, while Shayne himself stayed behind to try and bring one of the survivors out of the structurally unsound caverns. Barely making it out, Shayne returned to base camp, where a cure was readily synthesized thanks to the excellent skills of the medical department.
A Test of Loyalty (Andaris Task Force)
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.
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| USS Blackwell • Olympic class |
Open Your Mind and Say Ahhh! (Andaris Task Force)
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.