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[Camp has been set up a safe distance away from an exit point of the Trilks' underground cave system, beneath the shade of a mountain to both obscure their camp and to keep the sun from beating down their necks at a constant. Allura knows that the group has been briefed as primarily a research group, to observe the Trilks in their natural habitat, to collect information for a specified amount of time. And while she's understanding of the importance of learning about new alien species before engaging with them, there's a part of her that feels as though...something's off.

The more diplomatic side of her wants to try to reach out to these Trilk, if only because earlier research shows they're sentient enough to have had previous peace agreements with the other sentient species on this planet and seem to have their own military.

So she's hoping their research will develop as a means to reach out to these creatures on an intellectual level. To establish some means of communication with the group.

Currently, she's settled a few feet away from camp, wearing her own familiar flightsuit in place of the offered gear from the Eluvio, and despite the cooling system in her helmet, sweat is still beading along her hairline.

She seems to be jotting notes down in her own personal tablet, writing in Altean for the sake of her own personal ease. Earlier today she saw what she presumed was a scavenging party return, mouths thick with what she assumed was this planet's vegetation. She seems...annoyed. Perhaps because she's slowly realizing these creatures have not proven themselves to be friendly, and she recognizes greed as a...negative characteristic.]

They're brutes... [She murmurs to herself, fingers tapping away at the touchpad of her tablet.] We've been sent to observe bullies.

[ In her Eluvio issue space suit, Leia doesn't feel like herself. The lack of white in her wardrobe leaves her initially pouting in her mirror. I don't look Alderaanian. But then, she isn't representing Alderaan on this mission. Working for largely unknown cause means she plays it cooler than usual, at least, paying close attention to her fellow Gamma operatives.

At Allura's words, Leia snorts over the use of the term bullies. It's sort of wryly amusing to see a fearsome people accurately and succinctly reduced that way. Looking up from her own sparse notes, written in a mostly intelligible shorthand, she scoots close, nosily leaning over her partner's tablet. ]

Maybe they have their reasons. [ she arches her brows, pointed. ] Could be those reasons are shiny.

[ And, therefore, not particularly justified. She recalls the initial Mission Oros broadcast and the mention of the relic retrieval for Beta and Alpha Teams. Could be a shiny relic. Must be a valuable one. ]

[ Diplomacy hasn't always been Jim's forte, he'll be the first to admit. Even now he still has some difficulty at times, an instinct to punch his way through rather than talk it out, but he's gotten a good grip on how to handle certain tense situations with his words instead of his fists.

It's a vast improvement from how he used to be before he joined Starfleet, and even from his Academy years or the first few months as Captain. He's grown in that aspect, he likes to think. Most times it's a good thing, it makes him feel accomplished when he can manage to turn situations around, make new friends and allies.

Other times... it's just frustrating. That'd be the word he'd use right now. As much information as they manage to gather, he can't help but feel as if they're going nowhere with this, that there's no actual practical point to their mission. It's not like it'll change things. He feels like some glorified librarian jotting down notes and observations, restless that he doesn't feel like this is changing anything.

But he's also not stupid enough to just barge into the caves and get himself beat up or worse. So, watching it is.

Jim isn't really a fan of the uniforms provided by the Eluvio, and having his ship around comes as an advantage in this regard too. Rather than wear the suit he was given when he got here, he's sporting the Starfleet space suit he's much more familiar and comfortable with. Well, comfortable to a degree. He's still sweating underneath the helmet, even with a temperature regulator. ]

Humans were bullies too, once. [ He offers with a faint smile as he walks up to where she is. ] Some of them still are.

Edited (I can read planet info) 2017-01-21 15:31 (UTC)

open;

[ Predictably, Leia strides to the front (or near the front, at the very least) of the group as they search for camp sites. Strangely, Oros brings Luke to the forefront of her mind. Endless desert. Must be similar to Tatooine, even if she’s never had the, ah, luxury of considering the sweeping sandscapes of his home for long. ]

This is going to sound… [ odd? stupid? ] Look, if we see any sort of interesting trinket we can bring back to the ship without stealing. [ SO POINTED. ] Maybe even a bit of the flora. Someone asked for a souvenir on the comms. [ then, it’s as if she’s suddenly remembered something, as she stops and groans slightly. ] Actually, we ought to find something for the Trilk if we’re planning to speak with them.

[ Are they planning on doing that? Now’s as good a time as any to decide. She wonders if they’d see value in her Alderaanian hair pins, white and pearly. ]

closed to hera;

[ Leia Organa: princess, powerhouse, preeeetty damn lonely (*most of the time). The two moon jockeys she has saddled herself with have both deigned to ditch her (Jedi training and bounty hunters, really). She rarely sees darling Evaan as well, with duty pulling Leia deeper into the rebellion and Evaan, deeper into hiding with the remaining Alderaanians.

A familiar rebel, devoted to the cause, eases her bitterness about Luke and Han (and future Lando) and reminds her why she bothers swimming upstream in the first place.

Resting at camp in the rare shade, Leia tilts her chin up and smiles, patting the ground beside her as if to welcome Hera over. ]

Oh, Hera, it’s wonderful to work with you again.

Edited 2017-01-21 15:06 (UTC)

[ Jim's never been a big fan of desert planets. He likes sand if he's on some tropical beach somewhere, but this is all a bit too much. He'd almost say he misses that floating chunk of ice Spock dropped him on if that hadn't been mildly traumatizing— in more ways than just one.

What he wouldn't give for a nice, welcoming planet with a moderate climate right now. ]

We might manage to find something from the wild, but it's probably best to make sure it's safe first. [ AKA, that it's not radioactive, carrying aggressive viruses or worse. ]

That's a good idea— with the Trilks. [ Should've thought of that before he actually left the ship. ] We'll have to try and figure out what sort of things they value.

[ Right. They'll observe the Trilks and work from there, scouting for peace offerings along the way. With a nod, she sets off at a brisk pace again (though naturally slowed by her short stature). Kirk's too tall. And it would be irritating, if he he hadn't been pleasant so far.

Well, it's still a teeny bit irritating, as she has to look up to engage more fully in their conversation, catching his eyes. ]

Thanks. [ humming in thought. ] You sound like you'll know how to check if it's safe.

[ Is he a scientist? It'd be nice to have someone with more analysis experience, given that her skills mainly involve talking and leaping without looking. ]

[ Hera isn't really a politician - but she couldn't turn down the opportunity to do a little recon, off the ship. If nothing else, she might be able to pick up a bit of what they intention was in bringing them all here, and the bonus of getting away from that ridiculous job they tried to saddle her with.

She's almost stubbornly wearing her usual outfit instead of the Eluvio-issued suit, because it's what she knows and she can move in it easily. ]

They can't all be that way. We just have to find the ones who aren't, if we can.

[ Hera gives her a faint smile as she sits. It is nice to have a familiar face around - being kidnapped away from her crew is not a picnic, so if nothing else, the solidarity is good to have. ]

Your Highness. I'm just sorry it had to happen under such circumstances.

[Heat doesn't bother him. A Georgia summer is somethin' he grew up experiencing from the ground up. This place is a bit hotter, but not so much he can't stand it easy enough. And for the most part, he's only been listenin' to the others and observing as he is often wont to do. After all, he's been following Jim so long he tends to just go where the blonde drags him.

But this mission is, well, for the birds. Literally if one follows his train of thought.]

Greedy bastards probably wouldn't be happy with just that. But I guess it's worth the attempt. Back home when we wanted to keep crows out of the garden you tried one of two things. Put up a scarecrow, bein' one. Problem was, damn birds were too smart for that. Soon just used it for a perch cause they knew it wouldn't harm 'em none.

[He turned his head to look at the woman and smiled a little. Not much. He's too unhappy with the situation at hand to really be that at ease. But he finds her presence pleasant enough and her head strong attitude faintly akin to Jim's. It made her easier to navigate in a way.]

Other thing was tyin' these pans up in a tree away from the garden. Those birds loved shiny things, too. Kept them distracted from the real goal. Bit of smoke and mirrors I guess. Give them something else to look at to keep their attention off the real goal. Too bad we don't have somethin' that distractin'. Probably could've even made them more docile.

[Following her out of camp had little to do with anything other than health. The heat got to all of them, though it seems less annoying to him. Blame growin' up in a hot southern area and it explains a lot.

However the moment he is about to inquire on how she is feeling, her words interrupt him and he angles his head a little to the side.]

That or they just haven't found their way out of that mentality yet. Humanity had to go and blow themselves up before they put that nonsense aside. [Shrugging his shoulders, he knelt down in front of her and arched a brow.] Doin' alright there? Know it's pretty hot in these suits.

[He pauses a moment before finally offering.] Wanna talk it out? I'm not a bad listener.

[There's something easy about Leia's presence, Allura finds, and she doesn't mind when her teammate moves closer to her, in fact tilting her tablet slightly so that Leia can have a better view of what she's been writing, not that she expects this human to know how to read Altean.

She glances back, own brow raised, a slight smirk tugging on her lips.]

Well, then in a way, I can relate. [She sighs a bit, crossing her legs and cracking her back slightly. She's not fond of the idea of having to spend her entire time on this planet in her suit.] I do like shiny things.

But I will admit, I had been hoping we would be able to reach out, find a means to communicate with these creatures.

Edited 2017-01-22 09:13 (UTC)

[She pauses from her note taking to look up, taking Jim's approach as an excuse to give pause from the research that already feels as though it's going nowhere, as well as to stretch from her seated position. She stands, brushing sand off of her despite knowing there really is no use.

The land is dry and arid, she'll be washing sand out of her flight suit for weeks.]

Yes, well, you can still talk to a human. Reason with them. The fact that we're unable to find a means of communication so far is...frustrating.

[She frowns, looking away from Jim and squinting out to see if there's another group out to scavenge the wasteland for resources, shaking her head.]

These creatures only seem to have regard for themselves. No one else.

[Honestly, as the days stretch on, Allura really begins to wonder if there's anything political to gain from this. Not that she minds researching, but she does hope for a diplomatic epiphany to emerge in the upcoming days.

The fact that they have stopped at this planet at all, that there are groups retrieving a relic of some sort and yet little is known of this world's sentient inhabitants...something feels off to her.

She pauses from her notes, looking up at Hera.]

If we can. Right now, it seems that they are quite insular as a community, and quite happy to steal from those who aren't of their own.

I'll admit, I know very little of you humans and your history. [She's not saying it dismissively, but genuinely. Altean history, of course, considering their longevity of their species, is lengthy, and no doubt full of their own embarrassing past.

But still. She'll call it an observation. And she's seen other primitive species who have demonstrated kindness and compassion despite their own limited resources and ways of thinking.]

And I am doing fine, though I appreciate your concern, Doctor McCoy. [As she says that, she finds herself blinking sweat from her eyes, and she checks a panel on her suit to see if there's a way to further regulate the temperature.

There's a pause of her own, and then, looking up at him with a quirked brow:]

Talk...what out, exactly?

It would be easier if we could have access to the general population. They have to have towns, or cities, right?

[ Maybe that's wishful thinking on Hera's part. But if you can talk to the average person on the street, that's often a better place to start than at the top of the hierarchy. ]

We have a long way to go before we're out of such circumstances.

[ which is sort of optimistic. the rebellion goes on without them and with them. peace will take time to earn and secure, regardless. ]

At least as I remember it.

[ might be a teeny bit paranoid about timeline shenanigans after luke and lando and rogue one. ]

[ Unable to gather anything from the Altean writing, Leia focuses her attention on Allura. They're settled close, grounded in their easy familiarity. Regal demeanors, diplomatic experience, fabulous hair. Winning stuff. ]

There must be some way — they were involved in a peace treaty in the first place, after all.

[ but it's difficult, without language lessons or translators, and prepared briefings and gifts. ]

That's true enough.

[ Hera has, fortunately, been spared the weirdest of timeline shenanigans, aside from the fact that Leia looks several years older than when she last saw her. ]

Still, I'd venture to say we're both pretty eager to get back and continue with - our business.

[ The rebellion might continue without them, but Hera, for one, doesn't want to miss out. ]

That is part of the issue, there is no way to tell if they have a city or town. Not now, at least.

[She scrolls back up to earlier notes she has taken.]

We would need to somehow make our way into their caverns, but that would require their trust. And so far, they appear very protective of their own, and are an incredibly aggressive species to deal with.

They'd take it as an act of aggression, and probably kill us all.

[ Hera agrees. ]

I wish there was something we could trade with them, but I don't even know what they would find useful.

Of course. Our duty is everything. [ it's all she has, anyway. ]

How's your team?

[ some were young. she hasn't received word of trouble regarding them, but sometimes things -- even people -- become lost in the confusion of war. ]

[ The one advantage of being in a full suit is this, exactly: at least he doesn't have to deal with sand getting into weird places, or constantly brushing it out of hair and off his face. He's hot and sweaty but the suit thankfully keeps the sand out. He'll take having to wash the sand out of his suit over still finding sand in his hair (and other parts of him) even after weeks. ]

You can, now. But it wasn't always like that. We've... evolved, like any surviving species does.

[ Granted, she's not wholly wrong. Not all species will evolve in a positive way, and some may grow to become even more cruel, violent and greedy. But Jim is, for the lack of a better word, an optimist. He's just not especially patient. ]

It'll be a shame if we don't manage to get through to them in some way. But maybe someone else will, in the future. Maybe they will evolve in that sense. But they do need to be given the chance to.

[ He's tall, yes, but he's also considerate enough to slow his steps so she can keep up without having to nearly run. They shouldn't be exhausting themselves right now, anyway, when they still need to set up camp and figure out their course of action from there. ]

I might, yes. Provided my tricorder works down here. I haven't really tested it outside of my ship since I was brought here.

[ He pulls the device from where it's settled on his waist, showing it to her. Should be easy enough to figure out it's a sort of scanning device. ]

I'm not the expert you might hope for, but this little device's saved my ass on multiple occasions. I'm sure it'll be useful down here too.

[ she nods along, following him as his train of thought zigs and zags by the end of it, she lets out a light laugh. he's musing, if a tad pessimistic. it's an interesting team assembled here, certainly. ]

I've been known to improvise, Dr. McCoy. [ her mouth quirks into a smile — well, a smirk. #tbt get in the garbage chute, flyboys. ] But [ tilting her head. ] perhaps we should wait to observe the Trilks before we consider tricking them.

[ cart before horse, etc. ]

[ her eyes widen slightly in recognition. leia's no engineer, but she has fiddled with enough ships and droids to know solid tech when she sees it. kirk must be from a galaxy like her own.

then, evenly: ]

Handy. [ which is leia for i approve or maybe clever. gotta play it cool. ] Bring anything else I should know about?

[ best to stay informed, after all. ]

[ It is indeed very clever, certainly not a device Jim would want to part with. Though Spock might've been able to do more with it than Jim himself, he's also not completely ignorant when it comes to scientific data. He can at least interpret any readings the tricorder might give him. ]

Only my charming smile, but I doubt that'll earn us any points with the Trilks.

[ His lips quirk in faint amusement as he lifts a shoulder at her. He did bring a phaser with him, but he's keeping that tucked away in a bag. More of a 'last resort' kind of thing. ]

You have anything useful on you?

[ the joke only earns a brief quirk of her mouth. it isn't kirk's fault, of course. his comment reminds her of han, and she's nursing a grudge against him in his absence. petty.

still, she cocks her head, momentarily coy as she debates whether or not to reveal her weapon. seconds later, she taps her bag. ]

Blaster pistol. [ frowning. ] But I hope it isn't useful.

[ instigating a fight seems like poor form on a research mission. ]

[ Humor tends to come easy to him, even in these situations. Maybe especially in these situations, when he could use something to ease up the tension and lighten the mood. No need to be so serious all the time, even during an away mission.

He nods at the piece of information, pursing his lips, and finally tipping his head down to his own bag. ]

Phaser gun. Though I do share that same hope.

[ He may not be in his own universe but he's still Starfleet. Using force is and will always be his last course of action, when all else fails. ]

[The interception of the wounded baby Trilk was...honestly, by accident. Allura had gone scouting a few miles south of the Trilk's cavern exit following a scavenging group's return when she came across the poor thing. Poor thing, of course, being a relative term, because despite its size being that of something obviously young, and its plaintive cries that of pain, but despite the wound (dozens of painful spikes dug deep into its skin) and it lying on its side, the moment Allura attempted to go near and sooth it, the creature began to act as aggressively as it could out of self defense, scrambling in the dirt and kicking up dust.

She will send out a message to the others over their private channel, keeping crouched and just out of reach.]

Hello, Gamma team? This is Princess Allura. I need some assistance; I have found what I believe to be an injured adolescent Trilk. [There's a pause.] It appears to have tripped a land mine.

I can try to subdue it but...I will need help.

Well, I have noticed they like shiny things.

[She frowns a bit, rolling her eyes.]

Specifically shiny things that do not belong to them.

[ Hera considers that for a moment. Well, she could say, Ahsoka is dead, Kanan is blind, she worries daily about Zeb, Sabine and Ezra, but...what would that do? ]

Hanging in there, last time I saw them. ...I worry, though.

[ Just, in general. She worries. That's what Team Mom does. ]

[ Hera snorts. ]

Regardless, I don't think we'll get anything out of them without an interpreter. That's how you work with a new culture - you find someone already in that culture who is willing to work with you. You can't get anywhere without a foot in the door, so to speak.

[When he receives the message, he frowns. Instantly he checks all of his supplies medically before heading straight in that direction while answering her.] On my way.

[Using the device, he moves through the terrain to her location and stops as he stares at the... adolescent. God damn it, but it looks as big as a horse. It doesn't bother him too much, though. Mainly from growing up in Georgia and around horses. Without a thought, he pulls out his tricorder and starts dialing in the information he does have about the alien species before trying to get a scan.

He's not going to be able to get a good scan unless he gets close.] If you think you can get close, I might be able to calibrate the hypospray with the right amount of sedative. Can't do nothin' with it thrashin' around and gettin' one of us hurt with it.

Yeah well, not missin' out of much. [He really never wants to go into the logistics of their own civil wars anyway. It's just a messy dirty mass in their history that is better left where it lie. In the past.

On the other hand, he ducks his head at her question and rubs the back of his neck. He's not that used to approaching people anymore, but since they are stuck together, he knows he needs to try. He can't rely on Jim to do all the talking anyway.]

Talk out the mission. Sometimes hearin' it aloud makes a difference. Or not. i s'pose everyone is different.

Sounds like a guy I know that's also in charge. [He has to smile about that. If only because he can see that similarity. And he likes her way of dealing with the situation. It seems like she's in her element. Something he's not that good at all the time. He just always assumes he is best backing up the one in charge.

Why not? Every leader needs people to support them, right?]

Well, if you let them have the items, is it really a trick? More just slight of hand I s'pose. But you do have a point there.

[ they're of the same mindset. and that, at least, reassures her. ]

Hope for the best. [ she looks away. ] And prepare for everything else.

[ she wonders if they could even win a fight against the trilk. depends on what they're made of, really. she looks back to him, features softer than before. ]

Are you trained?

[Allura waits patiently a few feet away from the youngling, crouching and still trying to calm it with a soothing voice even though her efforts don't seem to be doing much. The tension in her body seems to loosen up a little when McCoy finally does arrive, thankful that it's the doctor of the group who arrives first.

She has her own abilities, but she knows they will need to get those spikes out before she even tries tapping into her quintessence to help heal the poor creature.]

I would want to wait for someone else to arrive before actually trying to sedate it but- [She pauses, and while remaining still, eyes closed, her body begins to shift, physique and build shifting until she appears to be nearly 9 feet in height. It's honestly a good thing she's wearing her own flightsuit and not the Eluvio's, as the suit is crafted with Altean shifting physiology in mind and adjusts in time to her shifting ability. Her dark skin is now tinted a dusty teal, almost reminiscent of the Trilk's own hide colour.] I believe I can manage holding it down.

[Winning stuff is, perhaps, the most important factor which ties the two together, among other stuff of course. Like their hair, and her own is done almost reminiscent of Leia's following their exchange on the Eluvio, if only to try a new braided hairstyle as opposed to the usual simple bun she wears.

Braids certainly seem more practical.]

So we have been told, at least. In fact, it is why I volunteered for this mission in particular, to try to reestablish the peace they supposedly had with the Feks.

[She really wishes she can remove her helmet to rub the sweat from her brow. Most inhabited planets in the familiar sector of her galaxy have breathable air, and otherwise she would ordinarily be able to retreat to the Castle-ship.]

If only we could figure a way into their caverns peacefully, see if they have a written language. But I do not want to risk angering them.

Exactly.

[ He smiles at her, equally reassured. Even from different worlds, universes and realities, he's comforted to find that a lot of the people here share in the same beliefs, objectives or morals. Makes him feel a lot less like he's almost completely alone. ]

Yes. Not sure if it'll mean much to you, but I'm a Starfleet captain. Starfleet's a deep space exploratory and defense organization maintained by the United Federation of Planets. It's not a military organization per se— we don't really have that back in my world anymore. But it's as close as it gets. [ Tipping his head at her. ] Are you?

We all worry. [ for a moment, leia looks away. once again thinking of alderaan — of her family, of Luke, of Han. ]

It's been difficult, at times, but I think we have a hell of a lot of hope now.

[ with the Death Star gone. ]

There's always hope. Sometimes, more than at others.

[ Hera has to laugh a little, then. ]

It's not that I don't think they can take care of themselves, but... They're my family.

[ Elsewhere, Jim gets the same message, and rushes back to Allura's pinpointed location. He spots Bones even from a few feet away, knowing the doctor's likely trying to scan the Trilk from a distance, but it's Allura's shifting that catches his attention as he steps closer.

Surprise and awe and any questions he might have will have to wait, though. One of the Trilk's noises has Jim glancing over, his steps slowing down as he reaches Bones and Allura, ducking just a little but not crouching. Not that he can do as much as if he were 9 feet tall, but he's still going to try anyway. ]

Managed to get any readings on it yet? [ He asks Bones, resting a hand on his shoulder. ]

[Frowning sharply at the readings that were rather inconsistent for the time bein', he looks up at Jim's voice.] Not as good as I'd like. Need to get closer, but I may have to guess the right dose based on the body mass readin's I'm gettin'.

[Not that he was any sort of expert on creating doses on the fly like that. He prefers to do this in a way that is as close to accurate as possible. Glancing over at Allura, he goes on.]

I don't know what Jim can do to help, but I don't feel right coming up with a dose till I have an accurate reading on the mass and other vitals. I don't want to hurt it.

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Jan 13th

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Jan 11-13(ish)

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Forgive his terrible metaphors XD

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ALWAYS

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Jan 19th; baby Trilk

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