Kansas

Sci Fi Channel is pushing a new summer replacement science fiction/fantasy show called Warehouse 13. For TV trivia buffs that recall the shows, Warehouse might be described as Friday the 13th The Series (late 80's, few seasons, modern horror) meets Special Unit 2 (early 2000's, short lived, quirky modern sci fi). While veteran actors Saul Rubinek (Lead Warehouse Agent) and C.C.H Pounder (Mysterious Liason) are always fun to watch, and the lighthearted adventures of the show are doable ... I don't think the show'll last very long.

7 years is a good number. It's a lucky number. Happy Anniversary STSF. So, how about them Mets ..... :P In all seriousness, STSF is a *good* site, or as I like to say - a wicked cool site.

07.29.09 Agincourt Update: Time Between Sims: 20 Minutes - The Command Teams of the 'Court and the Jackrabbit beamed down to Corianis to meet with Santos M'Shin, representative of the miners. M'Shin claims that the decline in safety measures has been a problem for 6 months, and the riots are the resulting anger over that. - Lt. Cmdr Kassem again beamed down to a mine site strewn with wreckage to investigate further for clues. - The Bridge Crew (Salir, Tay, Shadow) discussed the various issues surrounding the world. - Senior Engineer Lieutenant Murray headed down to Engineering, and found that Karrigan caught a cold from somewhere; the junior Engineering officer and went to see Doctor Socom and the new Doctor, Trenral, as well. Gunny Hefner was again deployed/on duty as Medic, just in case.

::hightails it:: It's a bug conspiracy! (not only in danger of getting on topic, but we're doing the PBMB version of the classic Bugs Attack! academy sim, or something)

::sneak pounces the Krikkets::

Cool. Sam, with me: let's klep one of the Imperial Speeder Bikes and buzz the Ewok village.

Thread is lost, forever it will be to Dark Side ... yub yub.

07.22.09 Agincourt Mission Update: Time Between Sims: Very Short - The crew stays busies with general day to day shift work as well as the matter of the colony issues. Security continues to patrol planetside regularly. They begin to consider covert ops to gather Intelligence. - We welcome a new CMO on board, Doctor HRasha Trenral. She meets Doctor Socom and Marine Medic/Recon Gunny Hefner. - Chief Engineer Kassem reports to Colonel Harper on the various blood stains and damaged equipment that marks one sight where a skirmish took place between the miners and police. The forensic and equipment evidence points to an accident, which is at the root of most of the conflicts between miners and administrative: unsafe working conditions? - Our investigation into the Corianis Colony and its worker and management problems continues.

Winner: JJLexi. Go forth, post, and let the quote madness continue.

07.20.09 USS Agincourt NCC-81762 “Heart to Heart” Commander Kansas 'Will' JoNs stood off to one side of the makeshift landing area for the mine camp site, watching as the transport and patrol shuttle from the starship Agincourt easily and fluidly came in for a text book landing. Her work here questioning some of the local mine workers was done, for now, and the feline senior officer was looking forward to participating in a final flyover for the day and then beating it back to the ship. Caine watched as the surface of Corianis loomed up in the cockpit window of the small shuttle she was piloting. She had been with her patrol teams for the past few hours trying to get a handle on the by all accounts rather murky situation on the colony world, but had been called by the Agincourt XO to make a pickup and flyover. It wasn't Caine's ideal mission; she'd rather have been out walking around and in the thick of things rather than stuck in a cramped shuttle, but both officers needed the full picture, so it made sense. She let the shuttle maneuver itself into a soft landing near the pickup point and saw the Caitian Exec standing outside the hatch, which slid open for her smoothly as Caine flicked a control and stood up at attention inside the cockpit. Kansas zipped up the docking hatch and into the inner confines of the shuttle quickly and efficiently, and as the automatic sensor hatch closed shut again, the Caitian swept a paw over the hood of her long black duty uniform coat, removing the cover portion from her head. She glanced at the at attention security chief. "At ease Lieutenant. How was the flight out here to the main remote camp? Any problems?" Caine relaxed, letting herself drop back into the pilot's chair. "Still pretty quiet, Commander. The whole atmosphere's waiting for the other shoe to drop but for the time being it hasn't made its appearance yet. JoNs slid easily into the co-pilots chair, and did a quick once over of the instrument control panels before turning her attention onto Caine. "Well, look at it this way: I'd rather it be a sneaker that drops then a steel toed work boot. Sneakers hurt less when they hit a target." The feline executive officer offered a small fanged smile, and her leonine features lost their tired edge for a moment and lit up with amusement. Caine chuckled. "Depends who's wielding them, Commander," she said dryly, checking that the XO was safely ensconced in her seat before firing the thrusters back up and lifting the shuttle back upwards. The golden furred Cait took over with the backup systems checks, letting Caine take the lead with the main piloting. "Right now, we're going to do a patrol float within the lower atmosphere of the planet and grab some sensor images and visual readings, make sure everyone -- administrative police and mine worker alike -- is settling in and behaving themselves for the coming night cycle. Hope you don't mind me volunteering you for the mission Junior?" JoNs chuckled. "I need someone that'll be on the front line patrols anyway to further ascertain any possible Intelligence from this shuttle patrol run.” JoNs then busied herself double checking some of the backup sensors and control programs, keeping quiet for the next few moments; she remained focused on her task, but her thoughts momentarily branched off onto other matters that she wanted to attend to, one of which was sharing the shuttle cockpit with her. Then, she spoke again, "I as well would never complain about a change of pace. Granted, I'd rather this colony world not blow in our faces what with all the tension down there." She indicated the surface of Corianis with a swift jerk of her leonine shaped head towards the cockpit viewer window where a larger mountain range came into view. Caine looked up from the instruments for a moment, glancing out at the open landscape. "I'd say that's a toss up at the moment, Commander. We're definitely not getting nice looks down there..." "I know. Just tell your people to keep their heads and not go off half cocked if they are heckled. The bottom line is the colonists -- on both sides of the conflict equation -- are angry and scared ... bad combination." She chuffed out a purr. "I know," Caine said grimly. "When Mr. Messner and I were taking a look around before, you could just about smell the tension; the colonists think we're there to help wield the nightstick and the local forces think we're trodding on their territory. However, the 'Court's teams seem pretty stable; they've all been briefed and know what to expect down there and I don't expect them to be the ones to start the fight. Assuming the Jackrabbit's teams are equally restrained, things may smooth out yet." Will smirked a bit. "Well, the Jackrabbits a border patrol ship, and it would seem some of the 'Rabbit patrols have gotten a bit rough with the gas grenades that’ve been launched into one or two of the protesting crowds. Most of the time, those crews are a bit rough about the edges; they have to be, in order to do what they do protecting our borders. But, doesn't mean that their methods are right." "Well, I don't pretend to be the authority on right and wrong on these sort of jobs," Caine said easily, shrugging slightly without looking up from the controls. "Tactically speaking, however...I hope they don’t make our jobs more difficult than they have to be." "Time will tell. Regardless, the 'Court was sent in primarily because we're a line ship, and our presence will hopefully smooth things out the diplomatic way." An ear flipped back then, and Kansas glanced over at Caine. Her expression was serious, as if weighing whether or not to mention something. Caine nodded slowly. "Yes, time will tell," she repeated back at the Caitian officer. She couldn't claim to be particularly disappointed that she wasn't one of the ones who had to deal with the diplomatic aspects of this job. She just had to stomp on the fuse while people tried to light it. The feline didn't say anything for another few moments while she fiddled with a sensor program and glanced out the view screen window as the shuttle cleared the range and started to whoosh over some flat grasslands; she was reminded of her summer vacations spent on Cait, and got a quick pang of homesickness. Then, she turned and glanced at Caine. "Well, Junior -- I was going to ask if I could take over the main pilot controls for a moment, but I admit, I'm concerned that you'll grab me in a headlock." Caine blinked, looking sidelong at the XO. The comment seemed to have come out of nowhere and for a moment she couldn't tell of the Caitian was joking. The feline expression was pretty serious, however. "I don't think that's particularly likely, Commander," she said after a moment's silence. She could guess where this had come from, though the bluntness of the approach to the subject was a bit jarring. Kansas normally gaited herself with a general and almost blunt enthusiasm that was hard to deflect. Yet, reverse mirror that enthusiasm and the felinoid Ex Oh could also be quite direct and to the point, such as now. "Now that we're alone, I thought I’d broach this subject. I admit, I come from a predatory bloodline and I can be aggressive. But you know Junior, I'm really not thrilled with what I witnessed during the sparring match between you and Buddha the other day." If the thirty one year old Exec had any misgivings about administering a mild dressing down to the older security chief, the leonine feline didn't show it. She flipped both her ears back in discontent, but her purred tone remained neutral, if not direct. "Junior, y'all had blood spurting out all over the mats. Was that supposed to be a friendly match? You could have fooled me." There was another short silence. Caine had known that Kansas had not been happy with the position she had caught Caine in with Captain Matthews, and she supposed she should be grateful the XO had chosen a private place to bring the subject up. Whether she and Owen had been in the wrong was a little more up for debate, in her opinion, of course. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir," she said slowly, tapping a control to set tactical scans running on the planet below and looking up. Will entered a series of commands into her co-pilot console, resetting a piloting program that had blinged a warning at her via a secondary console, and gave Caine a bit of time to consider a response. Caine's expression didn't change. "It was...a competitive one, sir. Captain Matthews and I are both...not of a temperament that gives up easily when challenged. But there was certainly no malice involved." " ... it doesn't set a very good example though for some of the more impressionable junior officers though El Tee." JoNs then shook her head a bit in the negative, indicating that she did understand Caine to a point. "Look, I'm not saying don't be competitive, as long as it stays more on the healthy side." Caine quirked an eyebrow again gently. "It was intended as exercise, nothing more, and nothing less." Her lips twitched slightly, but her eyes remained sober. "A man on my side who is willing to give me a good fight nevertheless can be hard to come by; I took advantage of it. Perhaps...overenthusiastically." JoNs's eye whiskers shot to her mane/hair line and now she did give Caine her full attention, with an expression caught somewhere between amused and stern. "Overenthusiastically. El Tee, do me a favor -- if for whatever reason, you need to arrest me, don't be enthusiastic at all, please?" Caine's lips twitched again. "If I have to arrest you, it will be work, not play, and enthusiasm will not come into the equation. Sir." “Good enough.” Kansas reached a big golden lion paw over to clap the Vulcan on the shoulder. “Now, what’s say we do a flyby of the main city, make sure all is well for the evening cycle, and then hightail it back to the Agincourt?” That sounds like a good plan, Commander. Pulling into range now," Caine replied, straightening her back slightly to take the impact of Kansas's paw and feeling herself relax slightly. She wasn't exactly afraid of speaking her mind, nor did she necessarily think she had acted in the wrong, but a conflict with her XO this early in the game was not something she was looking for -- and Kansas *was* the XO, age difference notwithstanding. "We'll be over the outer edge in five minutes." The Eh Oh purred a bit, and then answered. "Noted, and filing a return vector plan with 'Court Ops now … and transmission away. Let's go buzz the city one more time Lieutenant."

Never even realized there had been a short lived animated Stargate. Had to look it up.

Based on the Wiki article (if I understood correctly) this new crew can't even "drive" the Ancient ship they are on, and the ship is automated to follow a pre-programmed course of planets that were explored/seeded by a first Ancient ship? So, they plan to have this SG team tool about the galaxies, and only explore when this ship stops at planets. It's like being on an automated monorail at an amusement park A little assinine if you ask me, very, very thin premise.

MISSION BRIEFING: The Agincourt is in orbit of Corianis, where management-labor tensions in the dilithium mines and processing facilities have spilled into violence. The Agincourt has been tasked with maintaining the peace, settling the dispute, and getting dilithium production back on schedule...not necessarily in that order, according to some sources. The first serious meetings between sides are scheduled to take place as soon as a secure, neutral site is established. CourtChatLog09_07_15.txt

I'll have you know that my Academy plots are meticulously thought out prior to full conception and launch, and I take into account the deep plot building aspects ... Not really, no. Most Acad plots are grabbed out of thin air, literally fifteen minutes or so before the game. :-P

07.15.09 Agincourt Mission Update: Time Between Sims: I think the XO missed it. - Agincourt Security (and probably the Marines as well) deployed to aid the security crew of the Jackrabbit with the planetary patrols. - Engineering was dispatched to check over a site of a skirmish between mine workers and the local police. - Tensions are high on both sides of the colony conflicts btw the miners and the police/administration. - For now, other departments remain on board the ship. The CO perused through update reports regarding the situation, while the XO directly questioned workers out at one of the mine camps.

Welcome to the STSF site Skip - this is a wicked cool site to RP Trek game on. Sam is correct about not getting totally involved with a Bio for now, and saving it up for when you "graduate" the academy system and post to one of the Advanced games. Although, in the past, Cadets have posted duty logs under this Academy board area: typically the logs have been a story or personal/duty log about what went on in an academy sim that the player participated in. Have fun.

But it's okay; they know you there! And that dream sounds like an academy plot. And now, for the adventures of the USS Nissan Pulsar .... it does sound like a ship name! :-D

MOO-ving along, here is the new pic:

Hope your B-Day was randomly fun, Random!

And, yet another native population is under siege by the bad guys? The Stargate team must save them, woo! :-) And, we've all heard the "Star Trek is done" argument, how it's best to leave it alone after all the films and TV shows, or how the franchise and orginal concept is all supposedly irrevocably damaged from the new film TOS alternate time line and all that hackneyed crud. But, could the same argument be said of the Stargate franchise? Is it time to let Gate go off into the sunset? Or is it still a viable weekly entertainment concept that allows for the average sci fi fan to enjoy or families to enjoy watching it together?

So .... how'd it go? Details guys, details. :-P Anyone hear through the fan grapevine if anyone dropped out at the last minute? I recall word came on down the line that one of the scheduled writers bailed the day of for Shoreleave 2008. The guest list had the actor (no recall on the name) who played as Nero's 2nd in Command, Ayel, in the 2009 film making an appearance - anyone happen to pop in? Was there a swarm of Stargate costumed fans running about this year? Last year was unbelievable with the amount of Stargaters: felt almost like I dropped througn a Gate. Not a bad thing mind, but definite Stargate "whoa, there goes another one!" overload. With the success of the 2009 film, was there more of a Star Trek convention presence as opposed to the generic Sci fi convention atmosphere and all that?

I consider Math a royal pain in the neck (IMO). Ask me how I really feel about :-P

Note: this log is set in the Mirror Universe, and parallels the USS Agincourt’s current mission to the Corianis Colony in the Regular Trek Sim Universe. 07.12.09 ISS Agincourt ICC-81762 “Karma: Wrong Place, Right Time” The Corianis colony mission was going as well as could be expected. The USS Agincourt had arrived at and established a station keeping orbit above the planet, and the soldiers and guards of the Security and Marine departments had started to patrol the streets and campsites of the dilithium colony world in an effort to help the local police and militia further handle the problems that had been incurred due to the riots. In addition, the Agincourt command staff had started preliminary negotiations between the colony administration and the dilithium mine workers in an effort to further curtail the problems. Time would tell how well the overall mission to knock the colony inhabitants back into submission would unfold however. Commander Kansas ‘Will’ JoNs was stuck however, on a written report intended for her commanding officer, Colonel C.E. ‘Medusa’ Harper, concerning the feline’s observations regarding the current situation on the surface of Corianis and a few patrols runs that the feline had participated in within a command observer capacity. You might say the feline was having a bit of writers block. It wasn’t so much the content as the choice of wording that was the issue. She lounged in her desk chair, staring at the small screen on her desktop monitor and squinting at it as if she were about to give the inanimate device a good talking too. A deep and purring voice drifted across the expanse of the quarters from the sitting area. “You know if you keep thinking that hard, you’re going to get a nose bleed.” Sarritt, who functioned as the chief shuttle and helm pilot for the Imperial Fleet ship as well as Kansas’s lover, was half sitting and half lounging on the couch and waiting for her to finish the report. The two felines had made dinner plans for the evening. Granted, they weren’t going any farther then the ships main mess, but it was a plan for dinner nonetheless. Sarritt couldn’t put his paw on the current reluctance considering JoNs wasn’t the anti-Memo type. If anything, she regularly worked on and sent out updates, reports and memos with clockwork efficiency. She wasn’t exactly afraid of Harper, so that didn’t explain the hesitancy other then the usual common sense of any officer not wanting to tick off ones superior officer. Maybe she was afraid of any disciplinary action? Sarritt had only been on board for about six months, and really, he had no direct dealings with the commanding marine officer. But word on the ship was that the Colonel could come down like a ton if a situation warranted it, and the feline had been on the receiving end of that particular wrath enough to warrant some trepidation so that might explain it. “You could just bypass some parts in the official report.” Kansas stared at Sarritt, not really seeing the big brown furred tiger feline as her mind worked over the current issue that had landed her in both an advantageous as well as an awkward position. The colony worlds were a prime source of black market credit income provided that you had a specific sort of product to move. Kansas, ever the opportunistic mercenary with a day job as an Imperial officer, had gotten wind of some interested parties from the Corianis colony in some sonar, tracking, and rock breaking equipment she had purchased that could be converted for use by the local workers within the mine structure tunnels. The Agincourt had roving patrols of both Marine and Security officers to clamp down on the factions that were rebelling; JoNs, per her duties, would frequently ride shotgun with both departments to get a first hand view of how well the situation was being quelled. Therefore, Kansas had been on an established patrol with some of Lieutenant Caine’s line officers. When the last cycle shift’s planetary patrol had gotten in range of a particular downtown market area, the felinoid had slipped away down a side alley access way to get a visual read on a storefront that she had been led to believe would be the likely target for any sort of off the record and black market business dealings with the local underworld element. Unfortunately, the golden furred Caitian had literally come across a group of about twenty mine workers, hunkered down behind one of the outbuildings who were intending to ambush the security patrol about a block away. Anyhoo, after the rebel miners and Kansas had all stared at one another in shock for about ten seconds, all hell had broken loose and the random phaser shots started winging back and forth. Hi there and how is your day going and pardon me as I dive for cover. JoNs had managed to dive behind a low storage outbuilding for a bit of cover -- well okay, her personal guard Lieutenant Mical had sort of half rammed into her in a textbook scramble protection move and the resulting momentum carried both the blue skinned female Andorian and her feline charge behind the building. In between the insanity of not getting shot and trying to keep track of where the attacking miners had scattered to, the Commander had managed to access her wrist communicator to basically tell the security patrol to quote ‘move your butts, we have hostile contacts in the next sector grid over’ unquote. As a general rule, it was accepted that First Officers did not wander off. But then again, Kansas JoNs had never claimed she was your typical second in command. For better or worse, she had found herself smack dab in the middle of a situation that required some quick on your paws thinking. Yes, it had been a very successful afternoon from a tactical standpoint, and some of the lead rabble rousers had been taken care of which meant one less headache as the Agincourt patrols continued to police the colony planet. But, how in the heck was Kansas supposed to explain away what she was doing in that alley access area in the first place? The location was within the map grid that the patrol had been assigned too, but typically (there’s that word again) a ships Ex Oh could have ordered a couple of the security patrol grunts to investigate the area rather then going off on her own. The tiger like lieutenant commander shrugged one broad shoulder as he continued the back and forth brainstorming conversation with his romantic interest. “You wouldn’t be the first Exec officer to not be completely detailed with their commanding officer.” Sarritt, in some ways, was a better behind the scenes ‘counselor’ (and compatriot, from an inter species point of view) then the Caitian females former lover Conrad Zimm had ever been. The big Kzinti tiger played the Devils Advocate with the grace and ease of a professional. Kansas shook her head in the negative, placed her paws on her hips, and her tone came out with a confident ring to it. “I wouldn’t go so far as to call it friendship, but I’ve served under Colonel Harper long enough to have respect for the chief ground pounder. No way Sarritt; I refuse to out and out lie to her and degrade whatever mutual command trust we’ve built up between us by glossing over a report with a blatant lie.” The Kzinti feline smiled at her. “What?” “You look pretty cute when you make a decision. Your chest puffs all out, your chin juts up … you’re all perky and sh*t.” “First, I’m cute, now I’m perky. Do not call me cute or perky.” Sarritt chuckled and then started working on the conversation from another angle. “What about Caine?” Lieutenant C.T. ‘Junior’ Caine was the ‘Courts newly assigned half-Vulcan Chief of Security, although she wasn’t exactly new any longer. The Vulcan security officer was very good at her job, and the Cait feline had no complaints with regard to the downright orderly running of the department, but there was tension between the former Cee Sek turned Executive Officer Will and Junior Caine going back a few years thanks to an encounter the woman had with some JoNs relatives. The shared animosity was a classic Sins of the Father (or in this case, cousins) pattern situation, joy. The golden furred Caitian Ex Oh merely flipped an ear back as a smirk plastered itself across her muzzle. “What about the Lieutenant?” “You slipped away while you were with one of her patrols. Think she’ll try and make an issue of it?” “She’s probably disappointed I didn’t get shot.” Kansas chuckled and had withdrawn her dagger from her belt as she spoke, and began to twirl the sharp bladed weapon around in her paws through ease of practice and use. The felinoid merely continued calmly from an almost detached tactical viewpoint as she effectively reinforced her so called position on the matter. “It’s not a case of incompetence, so there’s nothing tangible that she can make an issue of, really. I didn’t cower in battle, I didn’t place her people in any more danger then they already would be in during normal patrol duties anyway by calling them in for backup, and I managed to deflect an ambush that most certainly would have had the potential to rip up her guys if the patrol hadn’t been warned by me." “You were lucky today Kansas.” Luck had frequently played a part during the female Cait’s career with the Starfleet. For JoNs to admit anything less to herself was for her to not be completely honest with herself. Granted, she would prefer to not walk smack dab into a group of ambushers waiting to spring a trap and thereby triggering the need for luck thank you very much. She wouldn’t be surprised if two or four or so gray hairs popped out in her mane due to the experience thanks to the momentary fear the adrenaline jolt had introduced. “Indeed I was very lucky. But, if I’m so lucky, then why am I having issues with the wording and presentation of this after action report now? How does this sound -- I removed myself from the main patrol guard long enough to take care of some personal curiosity with regard to the patrol pattern when I encountered the suspects, who were obviously acting in a suspicious nature?” “Sounds good enough to me. Vague enough, but still explains the situation. If Colonel Harper wants more information, she’ll question you further.” The big tiger like male feline shrugged. “You are being honest, if not professionally vague.” Kansas let out a long suffering snort through her nose, yet a genuine smile crooked her muzzle. “Oh yeah, don’t I know it. Very thorough, that woman is.” He cocked his tiger like head to one side. “You like Harper don’t you?” Will chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you could say I like her. I respect her.” Now she flipped an ear back, and her tone also went curious. “Why so interested in myself and Harper? “I find the command relationship dynamic interesting, is all. You really don’t get it do you? No, wait, I take that back: I do know that if you didn’t understand, you wouldn’t be where you are today. It’s just that you’re a Caitian who is second in command on a line warship. I’m not saying that you didn’t work for the posting, as I know for a fact that you worked hard for it. But, it’s rare to find a Terran Human commanding officer who is willing to share the command with an alien.” JoNs shrugged a non committal gesture and her tail swished once. “They all can’t be xenophobic. There are a few commanders throughout the Fleet who don’t mind working with an alien. The Colonel just happens to be one of them, and we work relatively well together. I have her back, if that’s what you’re saying?” The tiger like Kzin officer shifted his lounging position on the plush couch into a sitting position. “Well… why haven’t you tried to take over command of the ship yet? You could do it you know -- you’re aggressive enough, have the contact network, the credits to cover any costs. Enough pull behind your name now to not have too many Fleet Admirals questioning the coup.” Her new lover was being honestly curious rather then bloodthirsty with his questions and statements, and he winked at her with encouragement. She flipped an ear back and regarded him with a mischievous expression, “If I want to get shot in the head, sure, that’s a good way to go about it,” and then her manner changed into something akin to a more professional manner, “Look, Sarritt, I’ll be honest with you. I know you’re older then I am and have a bit more professional experience, but not all ships are like the ones you’ve served on. The ‘Court is one of the more stable warships in the Fleet, it’s a main line warship, and I have absolutely no desire at this time to upset our status quo here. I’m not trying to be a smart ass here, but your service postings? Most of the Fleet ships you’ve served are not exactly a shining example of the Imperial Fleet and the manner in which most professional or career officers maintain themselves.” The leonine female officer slinked over to where Sarritt sat on the couch and straddled his lap, placing her wide and nimble paws on his shoulders as she settled down into position. The Kzin male in turn placed his huge paws on her lower back and started a slow and easy massage. “So quote, wandering off, unquote, is professional?” There was no animosity in his tome, only curiosity. “No, not really, but let’s just say that my curious nature got the better of me and I was casing the area. Curiosity almost killed the Cat this time you know. If it wasn’t such a serious situation, I’d have laughed at the look of shock on the rioters faces when I lurked up behind them. I’m sure my expression was jaw dropping as well.” “… do you regret not making the contact or finding the information that you wanted? In order to sell the equipment?” “Of course I do. But, I can handle the loss of a few thousand credits, let alone there wasn’t any sort of formal deal as of yet, only typical back room rumor and hearsay, against clearing the colony streets of at least one faction of rebellious miners. I was … where I was meant to be this afternoon Sarritt, and we didn’t lose any personnel to some recalcitrant miners wielding makeshift pipe rifle and rock ammunition weapons*, so that makes it a good day.” Kansas smirked and cocked an ear back. “Are you quite through psycho analyzing me Mister Sarritt?” “Indeed I am Ms. JoNs; all of my questions have been answered.” He pulled her close and nuzzled the side of her neck with his nose. She responded in kind with verbal response caught somewhere in between a growl and a purr before making a final decision. “Fine. I’ll finish up and send off this damn report as is and then we can grab some chow in the mess hall.” “Good plan. And I can think of a pursuit we can enjoy afterwards …” *Trivia Note: This type of makeshift pipe weapon was employed by residents of the colony planet Nimbus III, showcased in Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier.

MISSION BRIEFING: The Agincourt has arrived at Corianis, where labor issues have halted crucial dilithium extraction and processing. Disputes have become steadily more heated, with riots breaking out recently. The Agincourt has been tasked with containing the situation and restoring the supply of refined dilithium asap. CourtChatLog09_07_08.txt

Note: this Plot Log is set an hour into the two hour time between sims. 07.09.09 USS Agincourt NCC-81762 “Corianis Mining Camp” Commander Kansas ‘Will’ JoNs materialized on the planetary surface of the colony world Corianis, and once she had recovered from the quick three second transporter effect, her keen felinoid senses immediately took in the area around her. Her current location was set just outside a mining camp that had been established a few years ago after the main city had been built and squared away; over the intervening years, the camp had become less a camp and more a layover point for any workers and travelers who were heading out to the other dilithium mining camps scattered across the surface of the world. The so called ‘First Camp’ was about ten miles outside of the main Corianis city and boasted about thirty or so residences, businesses, a small hospital, equipment rental and purchase stores, and entertainment and drinking establishments that compromised an area equivalent to a twenty block city sector grid, and the buildings were one to four or five stories tall. There were also a bunch of sturdy canvas and plexi frame tents scattered about the perimeter as well. The layout and buildings of the larger campsite, even though it was thoroughly modern, evoked memories of a frontier culture. For the most part, it was business as usually within the area, despite the clashes which continued to grow daily between the mine workers and colony management and the local police forces, which meant that the rioting skirmishes hadn’t yet reached this area as of yet. The reactions of the work clothing clad men and woman that JoNs passed on her way into the main section of the camp site varied -- some of them were wary, others seemed at a loss or maybe even a bit angry, others nodded in greeting, and still others expressed encouragement that Starfleet would handle the local problems between the miners and the main colony management. Kansas wore her typical duty uniform: black trousers, command red jacket. She held a data PADD in one paw, and the device contained some digital notes and questions that she wanted to ask of the Human male that she was to be meeting with. She had also opted to wear the long black Starfleet field coat with the red piping that denoted her as a command level officer. The field coats were typically used on away team missions for some added protection against any weather elements involved, but for today, the felinoid officer thought that the coat would also be perfect to give her that ‘business meeting corporate’ edge for her administrative mission this morning. The leonine feline moved slowly yet purposefully through the smaller later morning crowds that were milling about or gearing up for a foray out into the countryside. Within ten minutes she had arrived at the slate gray pre-fabricated building that had been designated as the main operations center for the local day to day administration for this camp site. JoNs entered the medium sized main lobby area, her hind paws tracking lightly on the slate gray flooring, and was waved further on by the security guard on duty who recognized the feline from a security packet that had been transmitted by the Agincourt operations officer on duty. The Commander nodded to both the guard and an older Human female receptionist on duty, making her way past into what was obviously the heart of the office area. She knew that there were probably a couple of hidden security cameras recording her progress as well. The Agincourt command officer arrived at the office entry way of Santo M’Shin, the local mine worker representative that was responsible for this district on the junior level. The only picture window to the office was set on privacy opaque, so she touched a paw to the control pad affixed to the plexi-steel pre-fab wall that made up the structure of the site buildings as well as the interior offices, triggering an interior chime that would let the occupant know someone was waiting outside the office. A few of the office workers glanced over at the Starfleet officer with a natural curiosity, and Kansas merely directed a nod of greeting in their direction. Most of them were Human, and for the most part they looked healthy, but had the typical weather worn faces of workers who had once labored hard for their pay before either moving into or retiring into the confines of office work. A muffled but clear “Enter!” could be heard issuing forth from the internal office area, and then the entryway door whooshed aside to allow the Fleet officer admittance. The male Human ‘owner’ of the private office stood from his seat behind the desk as the female Cait entered the office, walking around the piece of furniture so he could stand a few inches away to greet his new arrival. The olive skin complexion of M’Shin and his facial features were obviously of an Earth Asian descent, although over the decades his original geographic genetic traits had been diluted with a couple other Human bloodlines in the process. He stood about five foot eight inches, and had a compact and muscular frame; he was well fit from a good portion of his adult life spent working with and hauling out dilithium rock, and Kansas would bet that he was an accomplished hand to hand brawler if she was judging his ready stance correctly. He probably was getting a visual profile on the golden furred cat as well; it was a knee jerk reaction for anyone who served in the security or civilian police fields or maintained some sort of leadership position. He extended a hand, and she grasped it in a paw; his grip was hard, tight, and he was obviously trying to make an aggressive point. His hands were rough from years of working with the dilithium rock. His dark eyes searched her, looking for any weakness that he could detect. The message was clear, from one predator to another – my colony, my job, you’re the intruder. His office held file folders, storage cabinets, and was neat and orderly, yet M’Shin was no paper pusher; he wore camel brown colored overalls over a long sleeved undershirt made of a warm sweatshirt material -- the clothing of a working miner. “Santo M’Shin, Corianis Mining Union, District Representative.” She tried not to wince at the pressure exerted on her paw as she responded. “Commander JoNs, USS Agincourt.” Yet, in contrast to his mildly aggressive handshake, his tone and verbal manner was all business. “Have a seat Commander JoNs.” JoNs made a mental note of the ‘vibes’, and merely took the proffered seat on one of the semi-plush visitor chairs; once M’Shin was settled back in his own desk chair, Kansas started on the questions that she had wanted to ask the police commander. “How long have you been with the Miners Union Mister M’Shin, in a representative capacity?” “Eight years. I first noticed the trouble starting about three months ago.” “And the local mine workers were initially complaining about the working conditions of the mines, the safety protocols, the need for upgrades?” “Yeah. We were also responsible for stepping up the production of the dilithium, which tends to be a bit hard when we need to overhaul and upgrade certain equipment.” “So, the grumblings turned into clashes, and the colony government started to clamp down?” “Pretty much.” “And what of the clashes with the civilian protesters Mr. M’Shin? Word has it that some of the incidents have gotten a bit out of hand, and the colony police are very rough?” “Yes, they have. I’m not entirely sure why. I was a first shift miner for over twenty years, and we’ve never had these sort of clashes with the local militia forces before.” Kansas didn’t even bother to ask about the Fleet Command element or who M’Shin might have heard through the local gossip grapevine sent out the orders. The Mine Union rep was a local, and would have no idea about any specifics as to who was sending out the orders from central command on Earth. If anything, by process of logical elimination, it would seem that Admiral Mkory was the front man for the Corianis situation and the dispenser of any orders … if he in fact told the local Corianis police to clamp down on the miners. "Look Commander, are you Fleet guys going to help us or not?” JoNs didn’t like Santo’s manner, or the way he carried his attitude. Her thoughts winged back to the ship to ship wireless conversation between the USS Jackrabbit’s master and Colonel Harper as the two respective commanding officer discussed the Corianis situation: whereas Captain Calestorm had been off putting towards the ‘Courts Caitian Ex Oh, Kansas had sensed no menace from the female border patrol command officer, just a no nonsense and bitchy attitude. With this M’Shin, she was sensing a desperation about him set just under the surface. But then again … it was his workers who were in danger, and that usually didn’t sit well with anyone within a leadership position. It was no wonder the man felt pressured, and she attempted to way lay his fears and concerns a little bit without out and out committing to something that she personally couldn’t deliver on right at that moment. It was much too close to politics for JoNs’s taste, but part of being a Starfleet officer could entail diplomacy with some political leanings. You just swallowed your pride and dealt with it as part of the job. The two of them continued talking for about thirty minutes, and the feline commander confirmed the Intelligence that the Fleet officers of the Agincourt and Jackrabbithad already gathered separately on the general colony situation. The golden furred feline also got verbal permission from M’Shin to directly question some of the mine workers who were located at some of the farther outlying camps. Soon though, the possible conversation arcs had been exhausted and the civilian and Fleet officer were both prepared to go their separate ways. Kansas stood from her reclining sitting position on the chair, keeping her movements demure and professional. The interview had only lasted about thirty minutes or so, but that was doable. The Caitian feline had a feeling that the crew of the Agincourt would get answers elsewhere as well, and the semi-formal investigations that were slated to be spearheaded by the respective command staffs of the ‘Court and Jackrabbit would bring the shadows out to the light. “Thank you Mister M’Shin,” the Commander nodded towards the man, her leonine features bright and alert, “That pretty much concludes what I wanted to talk with you about. Myself, my commanding officer, Colonel Harper, and Captain Calestorm and her command staff and crew will now be working together to help with this situation.” “That big ship of yours could lay down some pretty devastating orbital torpedo bombardments in certain problem areas you know Ms. JoNs. My people could use protection from the local police and militia, and even that Calestorm and her crew from the Jackrabbit have gotten rough with the miners these past two weeks.” “But we won’t bombard the surface, nor do we plan a bombardment on anyone Mister M’Shin. And we can speak with Captain Calestorm as well regarding those aspects of her … responses to the situation. Consider that.” With a final respectful parting nod to the man, the felinoid commander exited the office and started to make her way out of the combination control station and office area. As she made her way from the administrative building, Commander JoNs had one prevalent thought roiling through her mind: There is more to the situation here on this colony …