Opening With A Bang, Not A Whimper

Posted on Tue Oct 12th, 2021 @ 3:15am by Captain Calypso Skyie

Mission: The Dexic Negotiations
Location: Shuttlebay One, in Dexic Orbit
Timeline: 41 hours after Prior Preparations Prevent...

The shuttles came into view out of the blackness of space, their chemical-burn thrusters flaring out of the dark. It was a bit of precision flying from both of the pilots to keep themselves abreast as they made their approach so as not to give one of them precedence. Inside the shuttlebay it was mostly empty, a single runabout off to the side while the rest of the small craft had been transferred to the second bay, packed in tight to create the space here.

In the center, at the end of a ceremonial but red carpet stood Ambassador Leonard O'Connor, resplendent in his formal robes as well as Calypso in her dress uniform that was already beginning to itch around the neck. She rubbed the fabric with her left hand to relieve it, before clasping it behind her back with it's match. In line but off to the side were the honor guard, three each of security officers on one side and marines on the other, pulse rifles in a standard carry position, ready to come to attention. In her own opinion, Cally thought the Marines were sharper looking, but she may or may not have been biased.

"This is my first real diplomatic function." She said quietly to her companion, "I helped with the reception for a really minor one back on Perseus, but never one that could bring a whole world into the Federation."

O'Connor chuckled softly, watching the approaching shuttles with a little bit of trepidation, "It's a first for me, too. I've talked to several world leaders, but our names will be in the history books after today. Might as well send your teams down if you're going to."

"Right." She tapped her commbadge, "Transporter rooms, send down our away teams." She forced a slight smile as the two shuttles began their final approach and they stood in silence as they flared out and touched down gently. They sat for several seconds before the containment forcefield went up, to let the rocket gases to escape the bay after shutdown.

The inner containment field flickered away as the shuttle hatches opened and the delegations began to emerge, coming down their own wide carpets, fringed with gold and as one, the honor guard came to attention and present arms. Each of them was composed of six of the apparently squat appearing Dexicians, one in resplendent robes in each, two with a little less ostentatious robes, the other three coming in behind them, security details. Not that they didn't trust the Federation or each other, but important people must be guarded.

As the only two of the Federation delegation, both O'Connor and Calypso stepped forward, bringing their hands to their necks with as nearly identical deaths heads grins and simultaneously greeted the two delegations., looking ridiculous, but both of the leaders of the delegations flared their frills in return.

Finally, the Ambassador extended a hand to each of the envoys in turn, "CEO Balast of Dorje, CEO Nalset from Aneset, welcome aboard the Chimera. I thank you both for agreeing to meet here, where there is unsurpassed security and harmony so that we can initiate the agreement that will bring Dexic into the fold of the Federation. This is the Chimera's Captain, Calypso Skyie, who has graciously agreed to host these talks."

Balast looked over at Nalset and gave her a nod of agreement, "There will be much profit to both the Federation and Dexic." There was a scuff of something behind the delegation, "May this be the first day of the grea-" He was cut off by the sharp crack of a gunshot and the wet thunk of a bullet impacting the back of his head. A soft thump hit Cally in the chest and something fell to the floor. She looked down at the spent bullet even as more shots resounded and all hell broke loose.

Three of the Dexicians had their weapons out and were shooting them, pistols all, but the range was short. Nalset went down with half a dozen shots through her chest before the Marines and Security officers could even start to react, one of the Dexic guards also down. Then a Marine went down with two shots in him, falling with the bonelessness of death and Cally lunged for the Ambassador, the only thing she could think to do. The thwack that came from him and cause him to go tense briefly came from the hole that appeared in his own face.

Without any warning, even as she started to lunge, Calypso felt a tug in her right leg, causing an instant loss of her balance. She stumbled from the impact and the sharp pain as she saw one of the security officers go down, but seeing one of the attackers fall as well. Then the mule kicked her in the chest. She hitched a breathe and felt fire as she did so, the inertia from the bullet beginning to spin her even as the mule came back and kicked her again in her left shoulder, spinning her the other direction with an explosion of pain. 'I'm dead.' Her mind told her as she saw the deck coming up at her, but she couldn't move herself to slow herself and her head impacted with a white flash and then darkness.

It was still only fifteen seconds in when the Captain hit the ground, the honor guard finally having gotten their wits fully together and were advancing, with a second of the terrorists down and bleeding. Another volley back and forth, four against one, three now as a Marine went down with a leg wound, then silence aside from the moans and groans of the wounded and the silence from the dead.

A voice, gravelly from pain, spoke up, "Dexic Freedom, Forever." The micro-sound of a button being pressed, then one of the two shuttles back by the containment field blew up, flames reaching out for the survivors before drawing back again, much of the power of the blast blocked by the second shuttle which was set on fire, a plume of shuttle debris and brief fire blowing out the containment field. Screams of pain from the burns joined or replaced the moans and the shuttlebay was all but still.