The Search

Posted on Tue Feb 17th, 2026 @ 9:15pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant JG James Phoenix & Ensign Janelle Barett

1,109 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Not All Orders Are Easy
Location: Planet

Deanna entered the cave adjacent to the blind as Phoenix materialized. "Excellent. Lieutenant, keep an eye on the doctor. Don't want her getting hurt. She is the one with the meds that are going to keep us alive" she said with a smile. "Ensign, with me."

"Aye, Commander," Janelle replied.

She secured the borrowed garments against her side and brought her tricorder back up, falling in step beside Deanna without another word. Her attention was already shifting outward to terrain, weather patterns and projected exposure limits as they moved toward the exit.

As they reached the mouth of the cave, Janelle adjusted her pace slightly to align with Deanna's. "Commander," she said quietly, keeping her voice low, "If Darkwa's team integrated willingly, they may not be passive participants. They could have assumed functional roles within the settlement. Healer. Advisor. Technical influence framed as spiritual authority."

She angled her tricorder downward, mapping the terrain as they walked. "If that influence has been sustained for any length of time, removal could create a leadership vacuum or even worse it could fracture existing power structures."

She paused briefly. "And if the emergency signal was triggered after integration began, we should consider the possibility it was sent to provoke intervention and not request a rescue."

Janelle lifted her head glancing towards the distant settlement. "Recommend we observe before engaging. Confirm hierarchy and identify Darkwa's position within it and then assess whether extraction stabilizes or destabilizes the region. The consequences may extend beyond this village."

Deanna offered a wry smile. "Not to worry ensign, I'll have all we need to know before we go in. And yes, we will locate Darkwa and the others, but you should consider that we will need to enter the settlement to attain certain information. Even my abilities have limits." She looked back to Phoenix and Sam, "Ready to go?"

"Yes ma'am" Phoenix replied. He had stepped over to Sam the second Deanna ordered him to. He looked over his disguise one last to ensure that nothing was going to tamper with the civilization they were about to enter.

Deanna made her way into the cave and stopped just at the edge, pulling up the hood of her cloak before pushing forward into the wild. The cave was little more than a simple tunnel that StarFleet Engineers had tunneled when building the blind. It was meant to look natural, but she could see the telltale signs of their work. Near the entrance to the tunnel there was a vein of iron ore with a bit of cobalt. Considering the developmental point this culture was in, it was only a matter of time before somebody came poking around looking for that ore. The wind was still breezy, but she was happy that the rain had mostly subsided. A muddy path was the best option to get down to the main road, which was also little more than a dirt path that was heavy ridden down. She hoped that they might have at least cobble paths as they got closer to the settlement. She used her Betazoid senses rather than risk using her tricorder as she made her way down to the road, stopping at the base of the hill so the others could catch up.

Sam shrugged into her coat and pulled up the collar and hood - concealing her face and keeping the worst of the weather out. It wasn't a great day to be poking around an alien planet but the mission was rescue - and so rescue they shall. The temperature plummeted the minute they exited, no longer shielded by the thermal mass of the tunnel. It was brutally cold, they would need to be cautious.

Janelle ignored the wry smile. She adjusted the clasp at her throat and pulled the hood up as they stepped out into the open air. The cold had hit immediately, sharper than the tricorder projections had suggested. Her breath fogged in front of her as she recalibrated the device and dimmed the screen to its lowest setting.

She kept her scans broad and intermittent rather than continuous. Nothing that would draw attention had someone been watching from the tree line or higher ground. As they moved down the muddy incline, she shifted to the rear flank, giving Deanna clear lead and maintaining her line of sight on Phoenix and Sam. Her gaze swept the ridgeline once, then the settlement in the distance.

"Wind direction favors us," she murmured, low enough not to carry. "Settlement smoke is blowing east. If they're using open hearths, we should detect habitation density before visual confirmation."

She didn't intend her update as a challenge, nor a correction. Simply information. Her hand remained steady at her side, cloak concealing both her uniform and tricorder as they reached the base of the hill.

Deanna looked around. The silvery light from the twin moons illuminated the landscape like a pair of spotlights. With the radioactive charges in the atmosphere, she wasn't surprised to see auras in the sky. Much of the area they needed to traverse was wooded, with large trees that appeared to be similar to oaks and pines. "Well, if nothing else, at least the scenery is pleasant, right Sam?"

"Pleasantly frigid, but yes, pleasant" Sam scoffed as she navigated her way down the slope towards the village. It was slippery underfoot, rain and pine needles making the footing unreliable. "Steady as she goes..." She whispered to herself.

"I think we'll follow the path around to the settlement. No need to sneak in at this point, and don't want to deal with unnecessary surprises that might lurk in the woods. Mr. Phoenix, keep a keen eye on surrounding and on the doctor" Deanna noted. "Ensign, that goes for you as well. Eyes open, everyone" Deanna stated in the friendliest tone possible for an order as she headed out down the road.

"Aye Commander" Phoenix responded simply.

Sam followed the path and the others, keeping half an eye on the village least someone appear that they weren't expecting. The ground levelled and the tree's thinned as they came to the outskirts. Sam took a breath and waited for Deanna's instruction before entering. Carefully she took some tricorder readings, hoping to find traces of human DNA.

The settlement was small, roughly what might be referred to as a hamlet, bordering on being something larger. Deanna looked back at everyone as they stood on the outskirts, "Most are asleep. I am sensing a handful of people that are functioning as Nightwatch. We need to minimize interaction for the time being. You all know the routine, keep your tech concealed."


TBC

 

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