An Update of Turtle-y Proportions
Posted on Mon May 26th, 2025 @ 11:03am by Lieutenant Colonel Shaun Bradley & Captain Min Seong
1,284 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission: Terrorpin
Heavy boots hit the deck as Shaun effectively walked out of the transporter effect, his face locked into a scowl. As he got older, he became far more like his mentor than he cared to admit. He unzipped his flight suit slightly, letting it breathe in the much hotter space than the Archer training vehicle he'd just been in. Tossing his helmet onto a desk as he passed, the Petty Officer looked up from their PaDD like they were going to object before meeting the Lieutenant Colonel's eye and deciding better of it.
"Captain," he practically growled, mentally caught off guard by his own tone, but keeping from letting that concern slip to his face. In his ear reports already came back from the fighters that had engaged he creature. "It sounds like you have one hell of an ongoing issue," he continued as he slipped in, and threw data from his wrist PaDD to the central table of the command room to add Marine data in real time to the Starfleet data that was coming through.
Shaun's presence stopped Min's pacing about the holographic feed, circling for a solution like a hawk. Her already developing frown and furrowed brow only deepened at the deluge of added information that either confirmed or worsened the situation in front of them. "With all these readings, someone would have had to notice something of this size underneath the colony. No reports of matching energy spikes. No massive burrowing creature reports. Nothing. And these energy levels that it's emitting now?" While her demeanor was cool, her eyes darted back and forth across the hovering information, narrowing at each passing line. "Nothing around here grows that size, by reports. Which means either it was missed in scans, or it has something about it that masks itself from them."
Her gaze softened as she wrenched her attention from the information in front of them to Shaun himself. "I believe issue is an understatement."
"Reports have it being a hatched entity, and if initial strafing reports are accurate the material of it's hide is making it hard to get a good scan." He pulled the data up on the holotable, and the creature was represented in a outlined holographic display. "We have been using low level phaser fire to distract the creature and get it to chase the fighters away from the main city, which seems to be working well. Though we will have to make a decision on disabling versus neutralizing," Shaun stated bluntly, looking over the table. "The infantry battalion is mobilizing to create a rearward fallback line. The armoured corps has the Chieftain on the move, and the plan is to be ready to punch back from that line if needed."
Min nodded along quietly, and then another prolonged beat. Her hand reached out to slowly move the holographic image of the turtle back and forth. Her eyes slowly narrowed the longer the moment went on. "I appreciate the readiness factor of you and your men," she started, "But I also have a concern. Yes, we should if necessary defend this colony. That I agree to. But with how this creature... glows? I am concerned that firing the wrong weapon at it may cause a combustive reaction out of the creature."
She looked as if she were about to go into a deep, scientific explanation of whatever she was thinking in her head, before giving a coy smile and shooting Shaun a look. "I think the last thing either of us want is an explosion that could wipe us all out. We need accurate scans. The call will be disabling/distracting for now. I have reached out to Operations and Science to see if they can give us a swift solve, before we have to make a more severe call."
Shaun nodded politely at that, making a mental note to ensure that the fighters kept it up, maybe swapping to the repeating phaser cannons of the albatross transports to decrease further. "Camp Wake Island is on stand by for additional support and supply if needed as well. They're two systems over and can deploy search and rescue as well as further fireteam support if we need. I'd rather not call more Marines, but there are worse problems than too much help. Further, we have corpsmen deployed to the various shelters to support the Starfleet medical and security staff as needed." He paused, and mulled over his next works. "Lastly Camp Vimy Ridge is set up for full yield deployment of weapons if needed." Marine fighters didn't like carrying full torpedoes, it slowed them down and robbed them of maneuverability. But it also usually meant they were swinging for the fences, and no one wanted to pull use of a quantum torpedo in atmosphere, especially close to a civilian population centre. That all said, sometimes the quiet part needed to be said out loud.
"I would be remiss ma'am if I didn't encourage you to seek a more hardened shelter as well. If not in the Starfleet compound, the Marines are able to take over command functions from our base if needed." It was never easy to make the call to leave, but all options had to be on the table.
"May we not need a bit of it." There was a minute twitch in her lip, but her expression remained. The options were already suggested to her, but with not nearly as much detail. And the host of issues that could have stemmed from a dangerous act could have had consequences none of them saw coming. But she saw to the other point as well. Protecting the colony would always be paramount. That much was made clear the moment Min stepped foot on the soil. "But it is noted. If we can determine where this specific life form came from, we may be able to see if there is another solution." Assuming this had a solution to be had.
But, as to evacuating herself... "If the situation worsens, I'll consider it." She returned her gaze to the hologram. "I would feel better knowing more than we do now first."
"We might be able to help with that," Shaun said, pulling up a torpedo casing. "Marines use these as part of recon onto new areas. They are contained in a torpedo and can be fired into position where they deploy a sort of low altitude satellite. They can be used to create a localized communications net, a small scanner relay, or slaved to a larger network to enhance localized information gathering." The torpedo pulled away and showcased it loaded into several different combat vehicles. "We can fire them from a distance and at least get better information. Pair that with a few recon vehicle teams getting close and we can probably get you eyes on a lot closer than most would be willing to get."
The minute smile appeared at the edge of Min's lips. "And everyone on the Benny said I'd have a hard time with Marines. Get it done, Colonel. That is probably the best idea I've heard all day."
"As you wish ma'am. If you don't need anything more I'll get to it?" Shaun took a half pace back and waited to be let go. He knew it was all busy as it was, and him hovering around was going to do little to actually make a difference.
"Please do. Keep me appraised of the situation - and I will notify you if the situation here changes as well." She turned back to the console, gaze on the information still hovering in front of her. "And hopefully a solution will present itself."
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