[Nivirres: The Frozen World] (Main) Chapter One - Descension

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Chapter One

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Descension

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It had been three days since they left the Alliance outpost, setting out on a mission of the utmost importance, as the brass called it. Now they were nearing their objective. The captain was alone on the bridge, laid back in his seat, staring at the white light far ahead. The Brightest Star. He almost had to force himself to snap out of it and hit the button. A short beep confirmed that the ship's comm network had opened.

"This is Commander Tyder speaking. All personnel report to the bridge immediately for final briefing. Repeat, all personnel to the bridge immediately."

His voice was indifferent, official, determined. The voice of an experienced commander.



He assumed that most of the crew were resting or else preparing. It would probably take five minutes until everyone was gathered. They were all soldiers, each and every last one of them, hand picked for a special operation. And apparently they were the best that the Alliance could do for this mission.



Soon they would all be put to the test.
 
"This is Commander Tyder speaking. All personnel report to the bridge immediately for final briefing. Repeat, all personnel to the bridge immediately."


Aril's heart skipped a beat, this must mean that they are to arrive soon...The Brightest Star is awaiting them. She jumped to her feet, clothes that she had been folding on her lap slid down her legs and landed on the floor of her room. It was a small but comfty room, simple and practical, Aril marked it from her arrival, her clothes, gadgets, few books and other all found their place in it. She abandoned the clothes, that will need to be folded again after she returns, and strode to the door. A whole new world to explore...she skillfully meandered through the corridors of the ship, her tight, black gear allowed her to move as she pleased without any resistance. Aril wasn't paying much attention to the faces of people she passed by but her own must have been showing her excitement. They were the first, as far as she knew, to explore this strange place and Aril was really looking forward to it.


She was the first who arrived to the bridge. Aril Commander Tyder's clear green eyes, she could see experience and discipline written on his face.


"Aril Saday reporting to duty, sir." she saluted enthusiastically.
 
The commander nodded at the attractive asari who entered. He remembered her name from selection. Aril. She wasn't the only asari on the team, but she was the most beautiful. She seemed vibrant and excited, pulsating with enthusiasm. He wondered how long it would last once the mission got started.


"Glad to have you. We'll get started as soon as everyone's here. Enjoy the view." He pointed towards the huge front monitor showing the Brightest Star. It was extremely bright, and the planet they were actually heading for, just next to it, could barely be seen at this distance. But they were approaching fast.
 
"Glad to be here and don't mind if I do."


Beautiful. Aril smiled looking at the monitor. I'm lucky, there are but a few others who were sent on this mission. I wonder what I'll stumble upon there.
 
Jack was asleep in his bunk, when the Commander's announcement echoed through the ship's intercom. Through his dreaming the Commander's voice had sounded more like mumbling, but as he rose to sit on the edge of his bunk, stretching- Jack knew it was time. He took his dog tags from the top of a small desk next to his bunk and put them on, then went to the bathroom to wash his face. He was already clothed, with the exception of his boots and military jacket, so 'getting ready' only took a few seconds for him.


After putting on his combat boots and jacket, Jack left his cramped, yet cozy quarters and yawning- Made his way through the corridors of the ship, towards the bridge. Once there, Jack saw the Commander and an Asari looking at the main monitor, which was showing the brightest star and the frozen planet, faintly in the distance. He approached the Commander and in a strict military fashion, saluted. "Jack O'Neill, reporting to duty, sir."
 
"At ease." the commander saluted at O'Neill just as several more soldiers entered the bridge. Nearly half the crew was present now.
 
Jack lowered his hand and nodded, then turned his attention to the monitor. They sure know how to name 'em. He took a few steps closer to the monitor, putting his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Kinda' reminds me of Tollan, that frozen rock. He thought, briefly reminiscing about a past, Spec Ops mission on a backwater human colony. Jack gazed upon the screen, with definite interest, perhaps even awe - However, he wasn't that interested in the 'brightest star', whatever it was- He was more interested in Nivirres, and what they were going to find down there. He had read all the reports and files provided to the team shortly after departure, which was very unusual for someone like Jack- He rarely read or wrote reports and such. Why this particular mission had peaked his interest? Well, even he didn't know for sure.


Jack turned to the Commander, "So do we know anything about what we're going to be facing down there? Did the downed recon ships get anything out, before they were blown out of the sky.. uh, orbit?"
 
"I don't feel like briefing twice, so you'll have to wait for the rest of the crew." replied commander Tyder. He wasn't pleased that half the crew was still missing, but he let little of it show on his face.
 
After the announcement echoed through the speakers, Shawn took a minute before stopping what he was doing. He was in the gym, lifting weights. When he finished, putting everything back in the proper place, and removing the weights, he walked quickly but casually to his quarters, where he grabbed his tags, and refilled his water. He set off towards the bridge, taking drinks from his bottle every so often.


When he arrived, he stuck out his hand towards the Captain, then said, "Hey, the name's Shawn." Then he looked at the planet, and his face lost most emotion, except for a look of concentration.
 
The commander shook the man's hand half surprised, but made no remarks. A few more men entered within the next few minutes, but there was one still missing.
 
"Alright, we're running out of time." said the commander, stepping in front and turning around to face everyone else. After a short pause he started.

"You've all heard the general briefing, ladies and gentlemen. The Alliance needs to study the phenomena known as the Brightest Star,"

he pointed upwards at the white smear on the monitor.

"And they can't do that while our ships are getting shot down from the nearby planet of Nivirres. That's where we come in."

Another brief pause.

"Our objective is to land on Nivirres and identify the enemy threat, after which we will neutralize it. We have no idea what we're facing, but the weapon that took out the recon ships left a massive heat signature. Whatever it is, it's big and it packs quite a kick. And we don't have much time before we get close enough for a demonstration. Any questions so far?"



The commander's voice had been loud and clear, decisive.
 
Jack lifted his right hand, though didn't wait for the Commander to react. "So, let me get this straight. Whoever is down there, has big honkin' space-guns, and we're going fly straight into the orbit of the planet?" He scratched his head, then lowered his hand back into the pocket of his jacket. "Now, I know I'm not the brightest guy here- But that to me, sir, seems like just one quick way to get us all killed. Or.. With all due respect, does this rust bucket of a ship have a stealth system, or perhaps a capable pilot- That I've not been informed of?" Though it might have seemed like it, there was no 'dissent' in Jack's voice and he spoke more as if he was curious, rather than questioning the Commander's resolve or the mission.
 
"Great minds think alike, O'Neill. We're going to do just that. We're going to make straight for the planet, in an apparent attempt to evade enemy fire and eventually land."

The commander paused for a few moments, letting this settle in. There was a slight commotion, whispers among the crew. With a cunning smile, he continued.

"And no, this vessel is not equipped with any stealth system, nor do I think there is a skilled enough pilot in existence who could get anywhere near the planet surface. For all intents and purposes of the mission, this ship will indeed be shot down while attempting to land on the planet. We, however, won't be on it anymore."

The commander paused to make sure everyone was paying attention. They were.

"This is the plan, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to get as close as possible to the lower atmosphere. I've already programmed evasive maneuvers into the autopilot. When we reach the minimum required altitude, we'll drop out in two APVs and with some luck land safely on the surface."



"Armored vehicles are the best shot we have, and will come in useful later on. Hopefully whoever is down there will think we died in the explosion, and two cold vehicle drops can go undetected after the ship blows up."
 
"Wait just a second? Am I the only one who is concerned about the other ship inhabitants? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are more people on this ship than us. Are we really going to sacrifice their lives just like that?" asked Aril, utterly confused. She looked around, 3 human males seemed not to notice that there is a problem and that it involved lives, lives that they are willing so sacrifice.


"Or is it possible that all the faces I saw were automatons and holograms?" she thought of one possibility that would make her feel better about leaving the ship for its destruction.
 
"Including myself, there are a total of 12 people from several different races on this ship, though I have no idea why there are only ten present at this briefing." The commander turned to the asari, speaking as if all of the following was completely understandable. "And every single one of us was hand picked for this. This is a covert operation. We are all military staff. There's no one to leave behind." Then he added: "That said, we are going down in two teams: Alpha and Bravo."

"One more thing about the planetary defenses. It's some kind of advanced energy weapon, not ballistic missiles, so it's highly unlikely we'll be able to avoid taking hits. But the drop will be dangerous even from minimal safe altitude, and we're basically going to have to sit in the cargo space and get hit until we can eject. The best thing we can do is reroute all power into the front shields and hope they last long enough."



"When we're done here, we'll head for the armory to stock up on weapons and supplies, and then we're off to the vehicles. There is little time left. Any thoughts?"
 
"Oh..." How could she not have thought of that possibility? That's what you get for being hasty. I'm excited, that is true, but I can's let myself act like this because of it. That wasn't really the most desirable first impression. I'm not so young anymore, being overly excited and hasty is not an option. Aril's expression changed, her jaw tight, body tense and alert. There's a serious mission ahead of me. NOW she was ready to go.
 
Jack looked at the Asari, God damn aliens. Why do they have to be let into everything nowadays? He thought, hemming- "Ma'am, you knew since the day you accepted this mission- That this was going to be a military op. I thought that what with your fancy commandos and everything, you Asari knew all about military tactics and the fact that sometimes, the lives of perfectly good men have to be sacrificed for the greater good." Jack then turned to the commander, "I have but one question, sir; Who is going to lead each of these teams? I'm assuming you'll be in charge of one of them."
 
The commander decided not to comment on what O'Neill said to Aril, but he gave them both a meaningful look before replying to the question. "Correct. I will be leading team Alpha. Lieutenant Strickland over there will be in charge of Bravo." He pointed out a thirty year old man with a serious face a few meters away. "Two teams, six members and one vehicle each. We can sort out the details later. I think you know all the important stuff."

In that moment there was a beeping sound from the nearby console

. "That means we have less than half an hour before we reach the orbit. Everyone head to the armory and stock up, then meet up in the cargo bay. I'll be there as soon as I finish up on the bridge."

And with that he took a seat in the captain's chair, focusing on the console in front of him.
 
Aril just smiled gently, it wasn't the first time a human spoke like this to her and since he was a perfect example of shallow thought and labeling, she decided too label him as well: Simple minded, insensitive man. She didn't plan on explaining herself to him. She knew a thing or two about tactics, yes, but there was also a fact that she was nearing her Matron years which meant that she would always think about lives that could be lost, for she found life to be something precious and extremely important to keep and protect. For the past two years her heart always spoke first and it spoke of shelter and care, precisely why she sometimes forgot some of the possibilities that would otherwise be perfectly logical and obvious. After the commander finished she followed the crew members who left first on their way to the armory.
 
Shawn glanced between the two, noting a building tension... He figured that would be bad later. He hoped they'd be on separate teams. When the announcement to head to the armory was made, he fell in about in the middle of the group.
 
Jack didn't really care whether or not the Asari responded to him- He wasn't there to argue over military tactics or what was acceptable in a combat situation, and what was not, he had done enough of that in the past. Right now, he just wanted to concentrate on the mission and when the order came, he headed to the armory.
 
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Stop was sitting in the middle of the armory, impassive and fully prepared for what would be an assuredly violent and quite interesting landing. His equipment was fully installed, his armaments were armed and ready, and his pack was fully set up. His grim expression fit the gloom and the wan light of the room with an almost perfect synchronicity. His eyes were shut, his hands locked together tightly.


His mind was empty. He was expressionless. His entire consciousness arranged towards one point in his mind's eye, looking over and over and over that one location with a fierce hunger. That single point was like the sun to him, and it consumed all he knew of the world. This meditative state in his culture was known as the Teetah Nea Vor. It was considered a more aggressive mental state, to prepare oneself for strife or discord. It was popular among the Quasai for preparing for front line battle.


His mind would stay locked on that single point until he understood everything about it, until he had disseminated it's entire existence down to compound sources. It was the only philosophy that the Quasai held for battle: "Knowledge is not strength, strength is power, power is blindness." Stop found this philosophy pleasing, and so he allowed it to satisfy him.


He had his ponytail arranged around his neck like a scarf. His long, slender neural chain, which the Quasai called the Kalev, meaning "Arm Mind" was almost seven feet in length. He would have looked peaceful, but for some reason his scrunched eyes, and shallow cheeks did not lend themselves to that description.


[ - Equipment Loadout - ]

  • Weaponry: Tiger Assault Rifle x1 (+3 Attack) - Combat Knife x1 (+1 Attack)


  • Armor: Guardian Light Armor x1 (+2 Defense)


  • Utility: C4 Explosives x2 (+10 Attack)
 
Once Aril was in the armory she chose equipment as light as possible as she wanted to be able to move around swiftly and soundlessly. It wasn't really difficult to decide, she chose good, reliable equipment she had used many times before. She assumed that there will be more injuries than she could heal on this mission despite the fact that she took 2 first aid kits.


[ - Equipment Loadout - ]

  • Weaponry: Tiger Assault Rifle x1 (+3 Attack) - Combat Knife x1 (+1 Attack)
  • Armor: Guardian Light Armor x1 (+2 Defense)
  • Utility: First Aid Kit x2


After she had taken everything she intended to take Aril continued to the cargo bay.
 
Shawn grabbed a Trueshot Sniper rifle thinking, Oooh, this is nice, he felt the weight, and balance. It's been a while since I've held one of these.


He also picked up a First Aid Kit, putting it on his side, and grabbed a knife, putting that in a holder on his forearm. Finally he slipped a piece of light armor on.


Equipment


Trueshot Sniper Rifle- +5, Heavy Ranged.


Knife- +1, Melee.


Armor- Guardian Light Armor, +1, Light Armor.


First Aid Kit.
 
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