Star Trek: Trevelyan

[Kobold-Bard]

Sharec nods. "Move. Phasers out but down, defence patter Sigma 4." He then moves to the outcroppings.

[Ichneumon]

Sarah quickly moves with them, "Captain, do we have any indication that they're hostile? Maybe we should try to communicate?"

[Kobold-Bard]

"I intend to if the opportunity presents itself, but I'm not willing to risk it straight off."

Once in position he presses the red "on" switch on the Univeral Translator on his belt.

[King Tius]

Roe keeps his tricorder out but also draws his phaser as he takes off towards cover. He tries to get to the highest possible spot which still provides cover.

[Binks]

T'jen positions himself in the back as the group moves to cover, drawing and readying his phaser, or at least trying to as it slips his grip and he has to try and catch it a few times before he gets a secure grip on it.

[Ichneumon]

Sarah follows the others, draws her phaser and says quietly: "I don't like the look of this."

[tigerusthegreat]

Brad follows orders, and takes his place among the rocks, phaser ready.

[Arstense]

As the dust cloud approaches, you can see a dark shape within. You can hear the sound of wheels on sand, and the sounds of clunking and reverberating metal. As the Captain had rightly guessed, this is some kind of vehicle - but why didn't it scan as such?

The vehicle skids to a halt roughly 120m before the rock formation. It is an ugly thing, little better than a rollcage with two long struts extending from the front. Much of the rollcage is taken up by some sort of machine, presumably the engine. One large, thick wheel half-protrudes from the back of the rollcage, with a smaller wheel embedded in the end of each front strut.

The vehicle has two occupants. Both are reptilian, with light-blue scaled bodies and a black beak-like mouth. Their heads are predominated by a colourful bony crest, not unlike that of a triceratops from ancient earth, although these crests are as long again as the alien's heads are. Even from here, you can see that each hand has an opposed thumb and three fingers, each digit ending in a bony claw.

One sits in front of a crude, box-like steering apparatus, the other leans out of the rollcage. It is brandishing a long, rectangular cuboid, about 1m long and 10 by 15 long and wide. The clawed digits of the alien's right hand are wrapped around a trigger located in a cut-out oval about a 1/3 of the way down the cuboid. The end pointing towards you sports a large, circular hole.

The alien wielding the cuboid opens it's mouth and emits a crowing hiss. The Universal Translator's going to need some time to figure out their language.

[tigerusthegreat]

"Safe to assume they know we are here." Brad says. "If those aren't the indigents, then hiding in a cyclone would be a great way to disguise their vehicles from the natives. Either way I'd suspect that whatever is generating the power signature is going to be similarly disguised." Brad waits for the Captain to decide a course of action.

[Binks]

T'jen keeps his phaser out, but not pointed at the aliens. Instead he holds it pointing at the ground but ready to raise and fire if needed. He remains silent, surveying the area to see if anyone might be sneaking up on the group or if the aliens are planning anything.

[Kobold-Bard]

The Captain focusses his mind, seeking a window into the creature's intellect. This wasn't exactly easy having no previous knowledge of this particular species, and the lack of success from the U.T didn't fill him with confidence. However, once he was satisfied he holtered his Phaser and slowly stepped out from behind his rock, his hands at his sides, plams open and facing the creature. His voice is slow and steady.

"My name is Sharec, I am not your enemy. We cannot understand you, if you know what I am saying then nod." He nods his head as he says that last part, and attempts to pass a telepathic reaction between them: We are not hostile.

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Psi Score : 94
Psi Score Modifiers: +10 = 104
(d100)[31]

Spoiler

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[Arstense]

For several long seconds, the alien stares at Sharec. Then, slowly, it lowers it's weapon. The alien at the vehicle's controls expressing some sentiment with a series of clicks and soft hisses, and the alien Sharec addressed turns to reply in kind. This... conversation seems to be very involved.

At least the Universal Translator is collecting more data on their language.

[Ichneumon]

Trying to do without being noticed, Sarah tries to collect data on them from her medical tricorder, of course from a distance, without getting closer to them.

[Arstense]

Sarah's activity with her tricorder does not go unnoticed by the aliens. They look her over for a few brief moments as she works, before resuming their 'conversation'. They seem to have calmed down quite a bit.

[Ichneumon]

Sarah raises an eyebrow, when she notices the creatures look at her, but quickly continues her work. "Fascinating."

"Captain, these creatures, they share a lot of traits with Earth reptiles, they're cold-blooded, omnivirous. Not very intelligent. I doubt they could have designed that technology they're using, sir."

Then, she looks at her tri-corder readings again. "Wait a minute... sir, this is interesting..."

"Can you see those vents across their skin? About 30 cm apart from each other? Each vent has a diameter of barely 0.6mm! The scans suggest that they can take in water through these vents, or shut them off entirely with a controlled muscle action. Their head crests appear to regulate body temperature. By forcing blood through the crests, they can cool or warm their blood as they need to. This keeps them at a fairly regular temperature. Isn't that cool?"

She always loved Exobiology.

[King Tius]

Roe makes a point of holstering his phaser before focusing his tricorder on the alien vehicle.

OOC: Which of my many technical skills should I roll?

[King Tius]

"Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. Captain, I've never seen anything like this. It is primitive but ingenious. Hmmmm." Roe gets lost in though as he starts to wonder about the implications of this tech.

[tigerusthegreat]

"I certainly hope they have a shuttle or spaceship parked somewhere close so I have something to be fascinated by." Brad says dryly. He has set his phaser on the rock in front of him so it is close at hand, but not slick from his sweaty hands. He envied the vulcans a little, as the heat didn't seem to bother them.

Brad takes a drink from his canteen, and waits for the universal translator to do its work. "Just for conjecture, if I were to make first contact with a primitive species, and I wanted them to take leaps and bounds in terms of civilization, I would start with vehicles and power sources that they could make themselves...if this vehicle is primitive but advanced in engineering, it fits that bill."

[Ichneumon]

"Captain, remember that this is still likely a pre-warp society. We can't tell them we're aliens from outer space. They are not. Supposed to know. We can't let knowledge about us spread. if they suspect anything, I must advise you to capture them and let them be transported to my medical bay at the ship. My staff can erase their memories. "

[OOC: If I'm wrong about the rules/laws of First Contact, please ignore this post.]

[Arstense]

The green display on the Universal Translator flashes twice. Just as the gun-wielding alien speaks to the other, those clicks and hisses become hissed words.

"No! Nathros has seen Old Traders! These are not."

[Binks]

T'jen does his best to remain calm and focused as he watches the aliens. Concentrating for a moment on the weapons they carry he tries to figure out what kind of power they might have, while also wondering what security procedure best fits this sort of situation.

Recalling standards security regulations, and noting the alien's lack of hostility, T'jen holsters his phaser, though he keeps his guard up, ready to react if needed.

Spoiler

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No idea what kind of rolls to make, so here's a d100 for both checks I'd like to try. If it's supposed to be a d10 can just divide :).
First, personal weapon's technology. How advanced are there weapons. Skill 28 (1d100)[75]
Second, what's the standard procedure for a situation like this. Weapons drawn, holstered, and any other useful info a security officer should know from experience and the rules. Skill 59 (1d100)[92]

[Kobold-Bard]

Sharec clears his throat and talks slowly, as if he is adjusting himself to another language, when in reality he is still still speaking his usual Vulcan.

"We are not traders, we are explorers; here seeking knowledge. I am Sharec, who are you?"

[King Tius]

Roe continues to study his tricorder, barely interested in the conversation with the aliens. He waits for orders from the Captain before doing anything else.

[Arstense]

The gun-wielding alien seems to be doing all the talking.

"This one, Nathros."

Nathros jabs a clawed digit at the alien driving the vehicle.

"That one, Kasan."

Now, Nathros sweeps his arm out to indicate the desert.

"We are guardians. You are explorers..."

Nathros seems to mull this over for a few seconds. His grip on the gun gets a little tighter again.

"...Explorers... Sharec lies. Knowledge is not sought. Is given."

[Kobold-Bard]

Sharec

"Then your customs are different to ours. Regardless we mean no harm. You say you are guardians, what is it you guard?"

[Arstense]

Nathros glances south, towards the energy signature, before he answers.

"We guard the gods. We guard their temples. We guard their lands."

[Ichneumon]

Sarah doesn't say much. She doesn't like this situation at all though. She walks in the captain's direction, whispering in his ear: "Captain, I don't like the direction this conversation is going to."

[tigerusthegreat]

"It sounds to me like these Traders are indeed an advanced civilization. Especially when Gods are being mentioned."

[Kobold-Bard]

Sharec had to agree with the Doctor. Preventing advanced races from taking advantage of less developed ones was one of the Federation's highest priorities; and using technology to feign God-like power was reprehensible to the extreme.

"Then I apologise for our intrusion. I humbly request that me and my comrades might visit one of these temples, they sound greatly interesting."

[Ichneumon]

Sarah closely observes the reptiles' responses, trying to discover any strange behavior.

She whispers again: "Sir, I don't think a meeting with their 'gods' is advisable, at least not until we know something more about what we can expect."