Away Team: City of Light [1/2]

Posted on Wed Sep 30th, 2026 @ 11:00pm by Commander Cornelius 'Kit' Hanlon & Lieutenant Commander Christopher Evans & Lieutenant Commander Daniel Masters & Lieutenant Azree Kar & Lieutenant B'Lakkam Slichez & Lieutenant JG Riaothren (Ren) ch'Shaorhs & Lieutenant JG Lovisa Montague & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark

2,348 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Behind the Curtain
Location: Selo, Apsloe
Timeline: DAY 1

ON:

The transporter beam shimmered for a split second before the away team materialised on Apsloe, boots meeting the white paving of Selo itself, the capital city laid out around them in perfect order. The temperature was comfortable in a way that felt deliberate rather than natural, the air neither too warm nor too cool, too dry nor too humid, as if the city had settled on exactly what comfort ought to be and refused to drift from it.

The city sprawled around them in white curves and spirals, open and immaculate beneath the faint shimmer of the dome overhead. It did not feel like a city that had grown over time, with the compromises and untidiness that usually came with people living in a place for generations. More like a city that had been unveiled in its complete form and then preserved in its perfection.

White buildings rose in careful arcs and spirals, their surfaces unblemished, their lines and curves so precise they seemed almost unreal at first glance, more an idea of elegance than anything practical. Pillars stood at measured intervals through the square ahead, statues and art installations placed with the same sense of control, as if some intergalactic museum curator had planned it out like an exhibition. Large bodies of water, beautifully shaped, curled around buildings, with a few bridges to easily carry the people across.

There was no real wind against their faces either, no movement in the air at all, and nothing green, nothing damaged, nothing dirty close by, only the neatness of a city built and maintained with beauty in mind. At the top of the large building ahead, a golden spire caught the light and cast it back in warm flashes, supported by golden discs that seemed to throw that brightness across the surrounding buildings.

The quiet of the place was strange, shaped by the lack of wind and the absence of birdsong, though not entirely quiet, because somewhere in the air there was music, the pleasant sound of strings being plucked.

The Apsloens waiting for them belonged to the city so completely they seemed part of its design. They were all youthful looking, with flawless pale gold skin and long hair that shimmered the same golden colour.

They were tall and slender, with light clothes made of fabrics in translucent layers, just enough to hide what was underneath while still being sheer. It suited their elongated limbs, making them seem even more graceful when they moved and the fabric flowed with them.

They had larger and wider set eyes than most humanoids, yet they suited the wider cheekbones. Their eyes were also an unusual shade of amber, but it matched their golden skin. Their noses were a little narrower and longer too, and their mouths smaller than a human's. There was indeed something arresting about them.

At the centre of the gathered Apsloens stood the highest ranking among them, made obvious not by insignia but by the elaborate style of her hair, worked into a taller and more intricate arrangement than the two aides standing just behind. Her clothes were light colours, almost like the reflective rainbow in a bubble, layered into a slip dress. Her lips were a gentle gold, a little deeper than the rest of her skintone. She smiled at them, inclining her head a little, deep amber eyes watching them both with interest and politeness.

Around them were the guardians, placed in a quiet perimeter that looked harmless enough until you noticed how well they covered the square and every open approach to it. The Federation had, after all, been expected.

B'Lakkam observed the area and came to the conclusion that this seemed a little too perfect. Certainly, every culture tried to put on its best face on an initial meeting, but everything appeared too clean, too new, and too sterile. With the guardians, he had to wonder, why were there so many of them. Did the Apsolens consider the populace a threat? What was the danger? Certainly, they did not intend to make the Federation delegation their prisoners, did they? What did he know? He was just a counselor. Best to let the commander of the team take charge and continue to make observations at this time.

Lovisa was looking everywhere. The marble-like paving and columns...the elegant spires...the sweeping water. Even the people who had come out to greet them...golden and demure...they almost shimmered in the sun. The scientist noticed the lack of plant life, finding it unusual compared to other cities she had visited...but still, the place was stunning.

Daniel likewise was looking everywhere, though his eyes focused on different things compared to the scientists. The high spires and arches perfect spots to be covertly watched, how the guardians kept the population away, but also perfectly surrounded the away team. He couldn't see any weapons, but considering he carried a type-1 in his pocket alongside the much more visible type-II on his hip, there could be weapons anywhere. Stood beside Hanlon, he also had a clear view of the official, who, by her appearance and demeanour, was clearly in charge and clearly very beautiful.

Ren really wasn't a scientist, not even a social one, though he had considered going into that field at one time. He was, however, naturally curious, and he found the people fascinating; their architecture, their physical appearance, and the way they carried themselves. He wondered what their culture was like. How they reacted to each other, how they would react to the Away Team. Unlike Daniel, he did not carry a weapon. He could handle himself well enough if it came to a physical fight and he didn't want to do anything that might intimidate the people they would be meeting.

Chris Evan’s was taking everything in that he could visually, but wanted to see what the sensors in his tricorder would pick up. So he removed the scanning device from its holster and started taking some scans as he made visual notes of the building shapes and the almost sterile structures and the architecture laid out around the away team.

Woah, Azree said in her inner thoughts. Everything was so grandiose; far more so than anything she had ever seen. She couldn't stop her gaze from shifting, and the pilot in her wondered if there was any Apsloen craft close by. After all, she was a bit of a gear head with her being a pilot and all.

The highest ranking Apsloen stepped forward, her hands cupped before her for a moment in a greeting before she watched them with warm amber eyes. "Welcome, Federation," she said, the words translated seamlessly with the universal translator. "It brings me great joy to greet you all."

"And us great joy to be here," Commander Hanlon said, a little bit awkward, but the smile was genuine. "On behalf of my Captain, I thank you for your hospitality. We bring some gifts, from many of our worlds."

"Ah and we receive them gladly!" she clapped her hands and two guardians stepped forward, moving to the crates. "You must all be hungry and thirsty...a small, modest table has been made."

Hanlon smiled and glanced over to Masters for a moment. "Well, we'd be honoured. First...I'd like to introduce my team. Commanders Evans and Masters..." he motioned to each as he spoke, lightly. "Doctor McEntyre, Lieutenants Kar, O'Donnell, ch'Shaorhs, Slichez, Montague and Petty Officers Stark and Jax."

She looked at them with surprise, blinking as if she was trying to commit each name and face to memory. "I am the Shayon...I am known as Laietta," she inclined her head a little, a small smile curling her lips.

The Shayon? B'Lakkam considered. Is that a religious title? An authoritarian title or something else entirely? And why did she look surprised at all of us being introduced? Is it part of their culture that only the highest person should speak? So many questions, so few answers. They seem to have a similar philosophy of breaking up introductions with food. It is a great way to learn more about your guests if you do it properly. But what is everyone else doing while Laietta is making these pronouncements. B'Lakkam subtly started to look around at everyone else, leaving Laietta for the Captain at the moment.

Lovisa watched on with awe...there was something about the shimmer of gold skin that only added to the woman's beauty and elegance. It was a feature she seemed to share with all her kin, or at least, those who had come to greet them. They were all something to behold. And the warmth in her voice...almost a melodic lilt...it was soothing in a way she hadn't expected. It immediately put her at ease, a long, soft breath escaping as she physically relaxed with the warmth she imbued.

Kit’s smile warmed a little at the title, even if he filed the word away with all the other things he did not yet understand. The Shayon. Some sort of leader, clearly, but he made a note to ask about what it truly meant. “Shayon Laietta,” he said, inclining his head with careful respect, trying the title in the same way he might test an unfamiliar tool before putting weight on it. “Thank you. We would be grateful to join you.” He glanced back over the team, at the look on their faces. Some awe, some suspicion...and some neutral. Then he looked back to Laietta, his hands relaxed at his sides. “And while I know we have plenty to learn from whatever you choose to share with us over food, I’d also be honoured if you would show us Selo as you see it. It’s one thing to arrive in a city. It’s another to be introduced to it properly.”

Laietta’s smile deepened at that, and for a moment the golden light from the spire above caught along the delicate layers of her clothing, turning them briefly iridescent as she moved. “Then you all shall walk with me,” she said, as if pleased by the request. “The table is not far, and the path to it will show you some of what we are.” She turned with a soft movement of one hand, and the aides behind her shifted at once, the guardians opening their perimeter just enough to create a clear route through the square. “Come. Selo welcomes those who look with care.”

B'Lakkam watched as the clothing turned iridescent. Well, that's a pretty and interesting effect. I wonder if that was planned. I also wonder why she will not allow us to wander on our own. She certainly appeared to emphasize on "will show you some of what we are." So, what about the rest? I hate being suspicious, but something just seems off, like the Shayon is purposely hiding something. For now, there was nothing to do but follow and observe more. After all, the Shayon did say that Selo "welcomes those who look with care." So, B'Lakkam was going to observe closely.

That phrase, 'Selo welcomes those who look with care', also rang with Lovisa. But her naturally trusting and optimistic nature meant her reaction was somewhat different. It felt like such a charming turn of phrase to the scientist. For better or worse, it didn't occur to her that it might have a more literal connotation. She watched the water in the grooves that had been carved out of what looked like white marble. Her interest was piqued at how the water seemed to be moving...running in one direction like a stream...but there appeared to be no tilt, no pump, and no escape to cause the flow. And she still couldn't see any form of plant-like in the metropolis. Not a tree. Not a flower. Not a weed or a moss. Nothing.

The route Laietta chose curved away from the square and along one of the broad channels of moving water, the surface so clear it looked almost solid until the light caught the ripple of it. It passed beneath slender white bridges and around statues rising from shallow pools, each worked in the same pale material as the city itself. People watched from balconies and open archways as the away team passed, golden faces turned toward them with quiet interest, though none approached and none called out. Even their curiosity seemed carefully arranged, held at a polite distance. Laietta walked slowly enough for them to look, her aides just behind her, and the guardians repositioning themselves with soft, precise movements. “Selo is our first city and our most beloved,” she said, glancing back with a smile. “It was made to preserve what is best in us. Beauty, harmony, health, peace.” Her hand lifted toward the curved buildings ahead, where white surfaces caught the golden shimmer from the spire and scattered it across the water. “When our people come here, they remember what we are meant to be.”

Kit nodded thoughtfully, though part of him caught on the phrasing and stayed there. Meant to be. Not simply what they were. “It’s remarkable,” he said, because it was. Whatever else Selo might be, whatever questions it raised, it was still remarkable. “There’s a sense of intention in everything.”

Laietta seemed pleased by that. “Yes,” she said softly. “Nothing here is without purpose.”

The water moved beside them in its perfect channel, the light softened across the white stone, and Laietta’s voice had a calm warmth to it that seemed to settle over the sharper edges of thought.

To be Continued in Part 2:

Commander Kit Hanlon
First Officer
USS Fenrir

Lt. B'Lakkam Slichez
Chief Counsellor
USS Fenrir

Lt. Commander Daniel Masters
Chief of Security
USS Fenrir

Lt. JG Lovisa Montague
Science Officer
USS Fenrir

Lt. Commander Christopher Evans
Chief Operations Officer
USS Fenrir

Lieutenant JG Riaothren (Ren) ch'Shaorhs
Assistant Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant Azree Kar
Chief Flight Control Officer

 

RSS Feed