<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); ">Groaning softly, Cait picked herself up. Luckily, the only thing injured was<br>her dignity...well, there were some scratches on the face plate. Maybe she<br>
could get Justin to buff it for her. Her hand came up to tap her<br>combadge."People, Wilkinson. Anything that says people went that<br>way...dropped bread crumbs, personal belongings...I've noted personal items<br>
tucked into the alcoves along the way." She stepped around the next turn and<br>into the central area where people were. "In fact, I do believe I've found<br>life...."<br><br>Kat nodded barely paying much attention as she stumbled over something for a<br>
brief moment. Then regained her footing. She rose a brow as she tipped her<br>light downward to look at what she'd tripped over. She glanced over at<br>Marcus "Are you finding anything?" she asked as she knelt down to get a<br>
closer look realizing it was rocks that tripped her.<br><br>Marcus looked to Kat and shook his head, "No, but Commander Blake, it sounds<br>like you might be having more luck than us?" He queried. He looked this way<br>
then that, signalling for Kat to pick up the pace if possible, waiting for<br>Cait to answer while he added, "But if the Commander has found something it<br>could be that all of these tunnels will bare some sign of life."<br>
<br>"wait a second" Kat said as she looked ahead "it appears these tunnels all<br>converge into one large cave'" she said as she looked at the readings on her<br>tricorder and began to hear faint voices.<br>
<br><br>[Cave Entrance]<br><br>Justin arrived pushing the grav sled with the portable shield generator and<br>power plant. He worked it into place so he could get a shield up and<br>running over the entrance to the caves.<br>
<br>[Deeper in the Cave structure]<br><br>Balkion stood up at the the scuttling sound of gasps to his left and his<br>eyes shifted as he noticed all heads turn toward a small entrance, "Xoron,"<br>he said, "Come with me." Curiously the male waited for the other to reach<br>
his position as he moved ahead, gently pushing people aside to get ahead and<br>see what had startled the group.<br><br>Xoron levered himself up with a grunt then made his way over to Balkion,<br>trying to be careful of the others despite being built more like a bull, all<br>
mass and muscle. Then followed the other man towards the disturbance.<br><br>[Elsewhere in another tunnel]<br><br><br>Juard still following the Lt. started to ask a question but didn't since he<br>was hushed a while ago. He was thinking if they would ever get off the<br>
planet of what he would do.<br><br>Nick canted his head breathing lightly, despite his elevated heart rate. It<br>prevented<br>his visor from fogging up. He tapped his communicator lightly, then spoke<br>softly.<br>"This is Reed, I'm picking up voices, but I can't make them out right now, I<br>
suggest<br>we continue to proceed with caution," he said.<br><br><br>Juard tapped his communicator so that he could speak to his leader<br>leading him through the cave."I agree. I can hear them too." he spoke<br>
rather loudly. Well, at least that is what he thought.<br><br>[Main Cave]<br><br>Balkion pushed people aside then stood firmly over Cait who sat on her rear<br>on the ground. "Who are you?" he said, violet eyes narrowing in question as<br>
he breathed in resulting in the puffing out of his chest as his foot gently<br>nudged her leg.<br><br>"Commander Caitlin Blake, CMO of the Vimyridge. We're here to help." She<br>gave the man a smile as she dropped her hand from her combadge and eyed<br>
Balkion and his rather huge sidekick. "And who might I have the pleasure of<br>speaking with?" Several other replies ran through her mind like oh....who<br>the dickens are you and why are you looming over me but she managed to keep<br>
brain from engaging mouth.<br><br>"Oh so you are one of the ones the large Cho'lu spoke of." Balkion<br>acknowledged that he at least had contact with Cho'lu at some point previous<br>by his statement."So you are here to stop the the Sun's tears of anger<br>
against our people and planet?"<br><br>"I don't know if we can do anything about that but I do know it's being<br>looked into by our best science officers." Cait replied. "What I'm here to<br>
do is, with your people's permission, check everyone out, treat whoever is<br>sick from the...Sun's tears, and make sure none of the rest gets sick."<br><br>It wouldn't take much longer before Nick would emerge with the young medical<br>
officer, his weapon trained toward the backs of the others for a moment<br>before lowering it. They didn't seem too hostile. He kept his weapon at<br>the ready though, nodding toward Doctor Blake. As if to let her know the<br>
calvary, if necessary, had arrived. He'd remain silent, motioning for Juard<br>to do the same as he simply watched the exchange.<br><br>Xoron, due to his size and bulk, hadn't missed the entrance of the others,<br>
in his general sweep of the various openings and keeping an eye on things.<br>He nudged Balkion, since the other man was doing to the bulk of the<br>speaking, "Others, armed." That's all he said, though his mind wondered who<br>
came to help save lives armed with weapons that they were so willing to<br>point at those they were supposed to be saving.<br><br><br> After several minutes Kat made her way into the larger area still holding<br>her tricorder out in front of her. She slipped her illumination device into it's<br>
pocket and slowly made her way into the room. She saw Cait and the others already<br>there. well that was helpful. if all the tunnels lead here than why did we bother<br>to split up." she muttered mainly to herself turning to make sure Marcus<br>
kept up with her. She looked down at her tricorder again and rubbed her<br>tired eyes as she began to possibly pick up other readings indicating other<br>lifeforms.</span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br>
</span></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); ">Marcus had walked with Kat, there own discoveries of small toys and left overs from something or other, leading them precisely to this place.<br>
<br>"And there is the rest of the team." Cait said.<br><br><br><br>[Cave Entrance]<br><br>Justin finished setting up the portable shield emitter and mini-fusion<br>reactor.He tapped his comm. "Lox to away team, Cave entrance shield is<br>
operational." He then took out his tricorder, scanned, and studied his<br>readings.<br><br>[Main Cave]<br><br></span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Marcus nodded to Lox's comments, "Any news on communicating with the ship Commander?"<br>
He looked around at the group, a little distant so that he could communicate with Lox without interrupting the meeting.</span></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(80, 0, 80); "><br>
Balkion nodded toward his counterpart and took notice of the weapons, "You<br>have no need for those here Sir. Truly who'd be stupid enough to kill the<br>hand that saves them?"<br><br>Nick frowned a bit, "That may be the case, but I'd like to have it handy..."<br>
he said simply, he had the weapon lowered, but within easy reach. He<br>glanced toward Doctor Blake once more. He was there as muscle, as was the<br>rest of the security crew, they'd help with evacuation, and loading as well<br>
as keeping,</span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br></span></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "></span><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">**V**</span></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Commander Caitlin Black</span></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Chief Medical Officer U.S.S. Vimyridge</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br>
</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Lieutenant Commander Katerina Wilkinson</span></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Medical Officer U.S.S. Vimyridge</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br>
</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Lieutenant Commander Marcus Saladin</span></font></div><div>
<font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Operations Manager U.S.S. Vimyridge</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br>
</span></font></div><div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Lieutenant Commander Justin Lox</span></font></div><div>
<font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Chief Engineer U.S.S. Vimyridge</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br>
</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Lieutenant Nicholas Reed</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Security Officer U.S.S. Vimyridge</span></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">NPC Balkion</span></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#500050" face="arial, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">NPC Xoron</span></font></div></div>