U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901

/||\ ---------------------------------------------
/ || \ UCIP Starfleet Command, Fifth Fleet
/ || \ U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
.-/ || \-. Fleet Captain Tebrun Lora Kor, Commanding
./ || \. ---------------------------------------------
.-_-. || .-_-. Simulation Teaser
.-_ \||/ _-. -[ SD 240110.08 ]-

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/ Simulation Teaser |
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A Maker-of-Decision was a tough sight to get used to, even for someone as
accustomed to braids as Charlie Theron, leader of Reor's Starfleet. The
phrase was what the braids used to describe the large conglomerate lifeform
that they created when some major decision had to be made or some major
problem solved.

The first step in creating a Maker-of-Decision was to gather representative
braids from all over known Reorsan space. Because braids were enthusiastic
space-travellers and pilots, this was often a time-consuming exercise. The
braids had to be recalled from dozens of different posts and patrol routes
scattered to the four winds. Theron had never actually learned how the
braids decided who amongst them should be involved when a Maker-of-Decision
was constructed, and realized that this was an oversight he'd have to
correct.

Many of the braids were unwilling to abort their patrol cycles with the
Accursed raids happening, and some of the needed braids couldn't be found,
their ships lost or destroyed. Replacements had to be selected, and that
took even more time. After a month, Brian Aldur had given Charlie a rare
exasperated look, asked to be kept informed, and beamed to Stirling. Within
an hour, the big command ship was winging east and south toward Boratis
space. A day later, Todd Marshall's U.S.S. Vanguard replaced her in Reor
orbit. And still, more weeks passed.

Finally, however, all of the necessary braids had gathered to learn why they
had been recalled: seven cords remained of the nine that had once made up
one of the braid crew of patrol 2/7. That ship had been rescued by U.S.S.
Coronado, and later recovered by U.S.S. Resolute and Blackrazor acting in
concert. Originally, all nine cords had survived to be rescued, but two of
those cords had died in transit of unknown causes. The remaining seven were
in poor shape physically, eating only rarely and engaging in few of the
normal activities of a healthy Reorsan cord. They certainly wouldn't gather
to reform their braid, who had once been known as Shadows-under-Cloud.

Noone could say what had been done to Shadows-under-Cloud... only that the
braid had been found being tortured or otherwise manipulated by an unknown
lifeform on patrol 2/7.

In a large domed chamber in the main council building on Reorsa, the
summoned braids gathered to form the Maker-of-Decision. This was done by
each of the participating braids detaching two of their own cords. Each
cord pair made its way to the center of the chamber, where all of the cords
gathered linked together into an enormous conglomerate lifeform... a sort of
"super-braid." The braids rarely spoke of what kinds of knowledge the
Maker-of-Decision must have when gathered in this state, and only rarely did
they allow non-braids to witness the creation of one. Theron watched,
shuddering slightly as he always did when watching it happen.

Once the Maker-of-Decision was gathered, two more braids approached,
carrying the cords that had once made up Shadows-under-Cloud. These cords
were slowly encouraged to link to the Maker-of-Decision. Once this was
done, the braids withdrew, encouraging Theron to leave the chamber with
them. Like an expectant father, the commanding Admiral of the Reorsan
Starfleet settled himself into a nearby antechamber to wait.

The wait was a long one. Finally, a single braid, Willow-Green, emerged
from the chamber. Nodding a greeting at Theron, the braid led the tall,
lanky human to a display terminal. Willow-Green's many manipulators, from
four separate cords, began playing over the device, and soon, three pictures
emerged. "These they are what attacked Shadows-under-Cloud," Willow-Green
said simply.

The first picture, and the largest, showed something that didn't look like a
lifeform at all. An enormous metal cylinder, rounded into bulging
bowl-shapes at both ends, floated in mid-air. Although the shape would have
floated over Theron's head, the actual length of the cylinder was only a
little over a meter -- if the scale was correct, the cylinder floated more
than a meter-and-a-half off the ground. Two glowing eyes burned from the
upper dome... and Theron had the briefest flash of a malignant brain behind
those eyes. In the central portion of the cylinder, a greenish glow of some
kind of energy port the size of a dinner plate was visible. The bottom
rounded bowl was featureless. Add a purple-red cloak, and Theron recognized
the lifeform that Coro's Marines had reported aboard patrol 2/7.

The second lifeform wouldn't have been out of place in the Milky Way, or
even on Reor. Bipedal and somewhat reminiscent of a bird, with thin gangly
limbs and a darting head, it had the clawed feet and torpedo-shaped head of
a bird as well. Only its rubbery skin broke the bird-like image. Theron
would have thought the lifeform fragile, except it was dressed in green-gold
armor and was bearing some kind of glowing staff. Three eyes seemed to
watch Theron from the display, visible over a thick cloth or leather wrapped
around where the being's mouth and nose would be.

The third was a creature out of a nightmare. Only a little bigger than a
large dog, it was an armored snake-like monstrosity with a bullet head,
sharp teeth, and eight tentacles tipped with short razor claws. If the
thing had eyes or other sense organs, Theron couldn't make them out. It was
not clothed, and was perched somewhat upright on its armored, muscular body.
The computer estimated its length at two meters, or a little over a meter
when upright or striking. The tentacles added another meter to its length
and range. On the display, it arched like a cobra and looked every bit as
deadly.

"Which one was the leader?" Theron asked quietly.

"They they did not know," Willow-Green said. "This one," the braid said,
pointing at the metal cylinder, "seemed to be in charge. It is certainly
what attacked Shadows-under-Cloud. Many of these," Willow-Green continued,
pointing at the bird-like lifeform, "seemed to be little more than a foot
soldier, assisted by these." The braid pointed last at the armored snake
creature.

"A face to the Accursed," Theron said, staring at the metal cylinder. "Will
Shadows-under-Cloud recover?" the Admiral asked, turning.

"We we do not know," Willow-Green said through the voice of its translator,
then excused itself to reenter the chamber containing the Maker-of-Decision.

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Crew Roster:
Commanding Officer: FCapt. Tebrun Lora Kor (Jester)
Executive Officer: Cmdr. William Daren (Daren)
Marine Commandant: Col. Jeremy Ironside (Fraser)
Command Liaison Interface: Cmdr. Savant (Savant)
Chief of Operations: Cmdr. Olme Tlaloco (Tlaloco)
Chief Tactical Officer: LCdr. Sieven Drexler (Garstini)
Assistant Tactical: Lt. Kyle Marcy (Marcy)
Chief Flight Operations: Ens. Ananda Wilk (Baralu)
Intelligence Officer: Lt. Kariasa Ma'Aru (Kari)
Chief Science Officer: LCdr. Kathryn Janeway (Kath)
Company Commander: 1Lt. Eric Moore (Alffred)
Squadron Leader: Maj. Thomas Wayne (Masters)
Squadron Leader: 2Lt. Jacob Prescot (Shadow-FjP)
Chief Engineer: LCdr. Zunite Oswald (Sonya)
Assistant Engineer: Lt. Jack C. Farley (CCC)
Assistant Engineer: Lt. Aramis Skylooker (Skylooker)
Acting Chief Medical: Lt. Ungtae Brie (Aggie)
Assistant Medical: Ens. Jason Thompson (Thompson)

On Extended Leave of Absense:
Assistant Tactical: Ens. J'aren Mayo (Spork)

Positions Available:
None!

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Ross Glenn aka Jester
Fleet Captain Tebrun Lora Kor, U.S.S. Coronado, NCC-97901
http://www.jestertrek.com/coro2400/