Mission Log - Taking Off For Unity

Posted on Sat Jul 18th, 2020 @ 4:24pm by Fleet Admiral Gregory Maddock & Commander Kaelyth Solmarr
Edited on on Thu May 6th, 2021 @ 9:29am

Mission: To Tread Cautiously
Location: Ops Hub/a station hangar bay/ the Iytha Rhaen
Timeline: 2388/09/01 0900 (Mon. Sept. 01 2388 9:00am)
Tags: Edited to change the mission

***** Thirty minutes ago *****

Kaelyth was pleased for all of those involved, but he had realized something during that ceremony. Gregory Maddock would be leaving, and Kaelyth had not yet given him the ride he had promised him in the beginning. But he had an idea to remedy that situation. As they left, he approached the Fleet Admiral and fell into step with him. "Admiral, may I have a word with you for a moment?" he asked.

Greg stopped them in a corridor just outside the Ops center where they were off to the side, other crew members walking past them. "Alright, Commander," he looked to Kaelyth expectantly, and then thought to ask, "Does this need to be in private?"

Kaelyth stopped with Greg, turning to fully face him before speaking. "I have just realized that I have been remiss in keeping my promises," he began. "When we first met, I promised you a ride on the Iytha Rhaen, but we have yet to do so. Therefore, I thought I might remedy this by taking you to the starbase by the... I believe the term is the 'roundabout way'?"

Greg's eyebrows raised momentarily. He had not been expecting the offer of a ride, however, it was not unwelcome. Far from it. "I remember... and am happy to take you up on the offer. I have a few loose ends to tidy up, I'll need about a half an hour," he replied pleasantly.

Kaelyth smiled. "Acceptable. I should get some things in order myself before I leave. Where would you like to meet for translocation?"

"How about right inside that private hangar of yours?" Greg replied with his own smile.

Kaelyth tilted his head slightly. He was about to ask 'does the hangar not belong to Starfleet' when he realized what was meant. "Again acceptable. When I arrived, did you get the opportunity to actually see Iytha Rhaen?"

"No, I didn't," Greg replied and then smirked, "Your arrival was a bit unexpected." He started to turn away. "Anyways, I'll see you in thirty minutes, Commander."

Kaelyth nodded. "Thirty minutes then." Another smile offered, then he turned away, headed to Iytha Rhaen to prepare.

***** Current *****

Kaelyth stood beside the entrance ramp to the cargo bay of the Iytha Rhaen, awaiting his passenger. He had chosen this method of ingress into the vessel as it meant that he had to pass through a good bit of the main part of the ship on the way to the Command Deck, which would give Fleet Admiral Maddock a look at both the exterior of the magnificent vessel and a good portion of her common areas.

Iytha Rhaen was nothing like the ships around her. She was constructed of a blue-white crystal called Khaeta RHiy or Ice Crystal, so named for its icy blue color. Throughout that blue crystalline hull were tracings of gold-and-silver, the shaelyth, in intricate patterns that were not immediately identifiable as to whether they had a function or were merely decorative. Even the ramp was Khaeta Rhiy shot through with Shaelyth.

Outside the hangar, Greg inputted his passcode and entered as the door slid open. He hadn't known what to expect besides something very un-Federation like but what was before him caused him to slow down within his walk. His eyes wide, his brows raised, Greg blew out a breath, taking in as much as he could of the ship, and then continued to walk up to Kaelyth, giving him an awe-like smile, "She's a beauty."

Kaelyth smiled. He had always enjoyed seeing people's reactions to Iytha Rhaen, and Greg had not disappointed. "Thank you. She is indeed. Please come aboard, and I will introduce you to her most lovely feature." He stepped aside and motioned behind him toward the interior of the ship.

Greg half-smiled a thank you before going inside, looking forward to the tour he knew was about to begin. Yet, he did want to take off first before seeing too much, wanting to be off-planet so there would be no concerns with his canceling his original travel plans and his combadge stating he was still there.

As Greg passed him, Kaelyth fell into step right behind him for a few feet. The bay door flowed up behind them, sealing with the rest of the ship as they moved away, making only the slight sound as of liquid flowing into place. As it finished, Kaelyth moved forward to walk beside the other man. "Kiyanna, please begin liftoff and meet us on the Command Deck with your Primary Avatar," he directed as they walked toward that destination.

From the air around them, a lilting, somewhat musical-sounding voice came back immediately. "Clearing liftoff with the colony's control center, and I await you and our guest."

Greg found his eyebrows had found a new home up in his hairline, brought on by the flowing doors, the colors, and even the melodic voice. He had expected something alien but this surpassed what he had imagined, the most beautiful vessel he had ever had the pleasure of viewing. And in this case, there was the added enjoyment of a ride.

Continuing to look around, he had asked in regards to Kiyanna, "An AI?"

Kaelyth tilted his head, studying the man for a moment. "May I ask what gave her away?" Kiyanna was very advanced, and as far as Gregory Maddock had known, Kaelyth could have been talking to someone who was monitoring them and then answering over an address system. So he wondered what had told the man that he was, instead, speaking to an AI.

Greg suddenly stopped them both, turning to face him. "It was a guess. I figure she's either that or someone with access not on record," he raised an eyebrow, "and the latter would be a problem."

Kaelyth stopped when Greg did, nodding at his answer. "Reasonable evaluation, and yes, she is an Artificial. She is the intellect of the Iytha Rhaen."

"Very impressive," Greg responded back and then started walking them again. "And the fact that Kiyanna has a Primary Avatar was a big clue," he said, referring back to his guessing she was an A.I.

That made Kaelyth mentally pause, reviewing his own words. When he had, he found himself resisting the urge to groan. He had indeed told her to meet them on the bridge with her Primary Avatar. Thus, his question of how Greg had known was a completely idiotic one. That was not a mistake he made often, and it bothered him when he did. But he kept that to himself and merely chuckled at his own expense. "That is a good point. I feel that I should inform you that such errors in oversight are extremely rare for me. I do try to pay attention to the details." No one was perfect, though, and he knew it.

Greg nodded, "Good to know," yet he had already figured.

As they reached the doors to the Command Deck, the doors seemed to "melt" and then flow aside, blending with the crystal-and-shaelyth of the walls to either side, the ceiling above, and the floor beneath. Kaelyth stepped through and stood aside to allow Greg to enter as well.

Around them, the Command Deck of the ship was glittering crystal-and-metal curves and edges. Like the outside hull, the interior bulkheads were constructed of the Khaeta Rhiy and Shaelyth. The panels were constructed of a perfect blending of these two elements. They did not seem to be separate elements in the panels, but rather, a fusion of the two.

And at the center stood the Command Platform. This was built, like the panels, of the hybrid material. The Chair itself; however, was constructed of just the Khaeta Rhiy with thick, lush cushions covering it.

In this chair sat a lady of slim build and dark hair. Her eyes were the blue of the crystal around her. Her clothing resembled a pants suit made of a shimmering blue material with a silver belt and bracers. Silver chain twisted itself through her raven hair, holding it back away from her face. As she spoke, she stood and descended the Platform to stand before Maddock.

“I am Kiyanna. Welcome aboard.” She waved around them at the Command Deck, and by definition, the ship as a whole. “You may have free roam of the common areas of this vessel while you are my guest.” She smiled a warm and welcoming smile.

"A pleasure to meet you Kiyanna." Although genuine, Greg responded on autopilot, unusually blank for a brief moment towards the lovely A.I.. Years of training took over and he smiled warmly, "Thank you."

Neither Kaelyth nor Kiyanna missed the brief lapse, but neither of them made outward note of it either. They exchanged a subtle look before Kiyanna spoke. "Of course." Her eyes seemed to be looking at something neither could see for a second, then they refocused on the two men before her. "We have launch clearance, and I have begun launch sequence. What destination would you like?

"Starbase Unity, please, Kiyanna," Kaelyth responded easily.

"Course plotted. You may begin the tour now if you like." She smiled a warm smile at her long-time traveling companion and a kind one at the Fleet Admiral then returned to the Command Platform and sat once more.

Kaelyth turned to Greg. "Would you like a tour of the Iytha Rhaen, Admiral?" he asked, head canted in a pose of questioning but not his usual pose of non-understanding. This one was more observant inquisitiveness.

"Ohhh yes," Greg had responded as if definitely. It was something he was really looking forward to. "Lead the way, Commander," he added smiling, tempted to transfer the man and his ship to Unity.

Kaelyth smiled a knowing little smile that was also pleased. Since joining Starfleet, he had not seen as much of that explorer nature as they claimed to have, but this man definitely had it. It mirrored Kaelyth's own exploratory nature, and so he was happy to oblige.

As the two men left the Command Center, Kiyanna smiled her own proud little smile. Kaelyth had come so far from the angry young man she had taken from his homeworld, and she was exceedingly proud of him.

***** Outside of the Iytha Rhaen *****

The shimmering starlight glittered off of the crystalline hull of the Iytha Rhaen as she banked and began her turn around the one moon in the system that had not been mined. Just as she vanished behind the moon, a bright, blue-green energy beam shot from the surface of the planet which the moon orbited, the world the Starfleet called Sapientia. It shot past the moon, cutting through the space that, only seconds before, had been occupied by the Iytha Rhaen. Fortunately or unfortunately depending upon one's viewpoint, where she was now, Kiyanna had not registered the beam. The moon had blocked Iytha Rhaen's sensors from picking up the beam as it quickly dissipated into the background radiation of space. Iytha Rhaen continued on her journey, blissfully unaware of the potential danger she had just narrowly avoided.

~End