Posted by Lieutenant Commander Thomas McGregor (COS) in Main Sim Tour of the Military Instillation
<snip>

No sooner did the words leave the XO’s mouth, the mood of the base abruptly changed. Klaxons rang out and people began to run instead of walk. Being the XO, no one needed to tell him that the troops were acting as if there was an attack coming and this was not a drill. General Lago grabbed a man running past him and ordered an explanation.

“General, the Volians are on the move.” The young officers tone conveyed confusion and fear.

“Secure the base and get me the science facility,” General Lago stated seemingly forgetting the tour he was giving as he began to march to what the Genesis officers could reasonably assume was the command center.

GM Kate

Magnus gave the Security Chief a look, his usual grin replaced with a grim expression. He nodded and half jogged to keep up with the General “Volians?” He asked

XO

Thomas followed, his expression equally grim.

The ground suddenly began to shake as an earth tremor rocked the ground below them. It was not enough to throw anyone to the ground but enough that one would have to work to maintain their balance. It lasted for about 10 seconds before subsiding.

Thomas, caught mid-stride when the first tremor happened, managed to wobble into a stack of crates.

“An Indigenous predator on the planet,” the General snapped back entering what could reasonably be assumed to be the command center. He did not barr the crew of the Genesis from following. “Get me the science facility now,” the General snapped with a crisp tone.

A few seconds later the connection was made.

=/\= Scion Dharma I warned you that your tests against the Volians should have stopped. Now they appear to be waking up two months before their cyclical routine.=/\= General Lago was angry and directed his wrath at the scientist.

=/\=Wiping them out once and for all should be something you aspire to and just like the military, science has to take calculated risks. City shielding is up and your forces should be able to maintain the protective domes.=/\= Dharma snapped back. =/\=The King is safe and so are the visitors. This is just a minor inconvenience and inappropriate timing.=/\

“So, sounds like big bugs,” Thomas said sotto voce to Magnus. “Damn big, if their tunneling can cause earthquakes.”

Magnus nodded “It’s always something” His smile had turned grim

As the General and Scientists spoke, the Genesis away teams receive their own comm call through their badges.

=/\=Gen…sis away tea.....Lot of interfere....We can’t get signal past....attle platforms.....or atmos turbulence=/\= The comms stated. The message was broken and static-filled but it could be possible to infere that the orbiting ship was having issues with communications between the battle platforms and the turbulence in the atmosphere the shuttles had experienced.

=/\=Sensors pick…siesmic tremor and prev....undect…life forms.....low the surface. Gen…sis…unab…to send help or shuttles....round…batt…plat…form.=/\=

GM Kate

“Oh goody, just how I like my diplomatic excursions: with a side of being stranded and attacked by alien cicadas,” Thomas muttered.

Magnus’s grim smile turned lopsided at McGregor’s comment “Glad to see you sharing my excitement” He seemed genuinely excited.

“Any chance we could borrow a rifle or at least a sidearm?” he asked the General at full voice. “We didn’t think it was polite to bring phasers to dinner, you see.”

COS

The Genny’s first officer looked askanse at the Security chief but made no comment, he understood the desire to have a weapon but it was not likely that small arms would do much against creatures that threatened city-level shielding.

XO

General Lago spared the men a half glance before signalling one of his troops over. They handed the crew of the Genesis each a weapon and a uniform like the troops were wearing when they arrived. “The shielding will be of far more use to those weapons but I know what it feels like to be without a weapon in war.”

‘That and I’d much rather not get eaten by the first one that gets past the shielding,’ Thomas thought, not putting even a quarter of the faith their hosts had in their shields.

“It is your choice to wear our uniform instead of your own but,” Lago touched a button on the cuff of his sleeve, “stealth can be more powerful than a weapon.” Once he depressed the button on his cuff, everything except Lago’s hands and head were visible. It was visually disturbing, reminding one of the old-fashioned seances where a head was floating with nobody present. Lago pressed the button on his cuff deactivating the suit and returning back so that his body was visible. “Our shielding is incorporated into the suits. Now if you need further babysitting I can assign you to one of our other officers or you can stand quietly and watch while I do my job.” Lago turned back to the monitors and began to assess what was needed to defend the three cities.

General Lago

“I mean, it’s probably also a damn sight more comfortable than these,” Thomas said, giving serious consideration to swapping the dress uniform for the offered stealth suit.

COS

“Comfort was taken into account,” Lago stated over his shoulder, “however sizing might be off. This is a children’s model so it should suffice.” The comment might have sounded offensive but with the side difference between the two races it might have been just a comment.

The screen in front of Lago began to change. “Open up quadrants twenty-two and fifteen in all cities,” Lago ordered. The once vast empty spaces between the cities suddenly filled with at least fifty points of light.

GM Kate