The Undiscovered Country

[Atlas Drake]

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Command Deck // KRV Utopia​

Suarbi System // Outer Rim​

FarStar Initiative: Day 12​

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"Captain on deck!"

Atlas Drake strutted out from whooshing turbolift doors, casually waving his bridge crew away from attention. That was already starting to get old quick. He would have to have a conversation with his senior staff about relaxing decorum given their mission of deep space exploration's long term duration. He would have to discuss a lot of things, this was an entirely new crew and they were only just getting to know each other. The Republic Navy was comprised of precious few star destroyers, getting assigned to one was an extraordinarily rare opportunity, so Drake already knew his people were the best of the best. But still, there would be a rough road ahead greasing the Utopia up into a well oiled machine.

"Helmsman?" the captain called out upon taking a seat in his central command throne, activating the holodisplay touch screen on its armrests and taking a glance at the latest status reports.

"Just dropped out of hyperspace, sir," his senior navigation officer was a young lieutenant filled with bravado, apparently confident she could flying just about anything. If true, that particular skill might also come in handy before they saw home again, "Present bearing is just inside Suarbi's heliosphere."

"Excellent. Take us in nice and slow, half sublight. We don't want to spook them," he acknowledged, shifting his focus, "Tactical?"

"Deflector and weapon systems powered down per your orders, sir," his tactical officer was an uncommonly bright immigrant Jarell and Atlas could already tell he was tough as nails.

"Very good. Sensors?"

"Picking up ships on long range," there was a brief pause while the ensign examined his display, "Looks like local defense fleet, sir."

"They're hailing us," communications chimed in, "Its an automated challenge, they're ordering us to stand fast and demand we identify ourselves."

"It's to be expected," Captain Drake reassured his bridge officers, "Full stop. Let them know who we are and that we are under the protection of President [member="Mya Jesel"]."

He had done his best to prepare his people for this system's extreme isolationism beforehand, knowing full well how difficult it had been to arrange such a meeting between their two governments. Utopia was still very much in its shakedown cruise, touring the more civilized Outer Rim sectors and reestablishing diplomatic contact with various civilizations and cultures. After their stop here it would be straight on to Skor II, where Atlas had been informed ahead of time that there was a grand feast being prepared by King Adegabaydee in honor of Kathol's contributions to the defense of their home planet.

"They've acknowledged our transmission, and are requesting that we resume our present course to Suarbi 7's orbit. A military escort will be provided."

"Fair enough, no fancy flying helm," he winked, before rising from his command throne, "Prep a shuttle, minimal complement."

 

[Mya Jesel]

"Madam President, the Kathol representative has arrived in-system," one of her aids called, scrolling through a datapad. "They are approaching orbit."

Mya looked up from the data charts that she was inspecting and nodding. Brushing a hair from her face, she stood. "Dispatch the ceremonial escort." They had prepared for it beforehand and the squadron was on stand-by for the representative's arrival. It was two squadrons of fighters and three cruisers that would join with the Kathol ship to guide them into orbit.

There was time still for her preparation. She rose and set aside the datapad. "Set aside the rest of the schedule. Launch the diplomatic events." With that, she strode to her offices, and prepared to meet the delegate. It was quite rare that other dignitaries would come visit them and even rarer for their own dignitaries to go out to the galaxy. Part of this was protection, part was practicality. While the vast majority of the population were unaware, Mya had been made aware of the presence of the Jensaarai, a secret society of Force users guarding the system.

Some time later, Mya would be waiting for the delegation's arrival at the pre-determined landing zone, which the fighter squadrons would perform a fly-over of, and then embark to their usual patrol routes.

[member="Atlas Drake"]

 

[Atlas Drake]

Landing Zone​

Yumfla, Susefvi​

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Stepping foot on Susefvi for the first time was an oddly comforting experience for Captain Drake. His own homeworld, the Republic's capital of Dayark, was also a moon. Suarbi 7 was a different hue and not quite the same size as Ebene, but Atlas had grown used to the comforting sight of such miraculous celestial bodies long before he had ever become a navy man. There was the expected fanfare and pageantry as their shuttle hatch opened to reveal the light of a distant civilization for the first time, but it was tame and muted, almost as if this was an uncomfortable or otherwise unexpected occasion for the native people.

Atlas paid it little mind, he had learned enough by now of the wider galaxies that cultures could vary significantly from planet to planet. Perhaps the natives were just a reserved lot, he was not here to cast judgments. Any briefing material on Susefvi had been scarce and difficult to come by, curiously so for a world so close to the Expansion Region compared to his homeland it might as well be the heart of galactic civilization. It was a representative democracy, like Drake's own Republic, but other than that he didn't even know all that much about its leader, President [member="Mya Jesel"] who was now standing before him.

"Madame President, greetings on behalf of the Kathol Republic," he flashed a poster boy smile and held out his hand for a shake on nothing more than his intuition that bowing would be a little too formal for this particular crowd, "I want to thank you for being able to allow our visit after all. I know Republic space is quite a ways off but my people believe now more than ever our Coalition is stronger together."

Resisting the urge to glance down and check on his dress uniform's tassels, Drake could only hope that the rest of his first contact team behind him was acquitting themselves in a similarly respectable manner. He was joined by two senior officers, a xenobiologist and engineer, as well as a civilian reporter for KatholNet who had signed on for the FarStar Initiative.