Surprised at the suddenness of the ejection from the ship James gasped at the sudden shock from the displacement. His training quickly taking over he angled his descent so that he would be relatively close to the ship's coordinates. The slight increase of the g forces pressed him back in his seat but was nothing like what he was used to doing so it was almost unnoticed by him. After breaking into the atmosphere he ejected the parachute and continued his descent correctly choosing the proper time to release his parachute to get where he had intended. After the final jarring halt as his pod landed on the ground he exited his pod and restored it within his suit. Looking around and checking his surroundings he found he was in a fairly barren desert.
"Boy am I glad this suit has tinted visors else my eyes would be in so much pain at the moment!" Glancing down at his coordinates he found he was roughly 6 miles north of the ship and that between there and here was plenty of hard terrain.
After a quick glance around he set off southwards at a jog. After jogging and pausing occasionally to make sure he stayed hydrated. After roughly 2 hours 34 minutes traveling over hard terrain he decided to take a slight break to rest and take a drink of water.
While he was getting himself a water from his store he didn't notice that a creature had come up behind him until he looked down and saw a shadow that hadn't been there before. Spinning around while grabbing his tri-barreled plasma cannon from his back and aiming it at the creature just as it started to leap at him. Barely taking the time to register the fact James pulled the trigger of his cannon to blast the creature from the air mid-leap.
Taking a quick calming breath James looked around his surroundings to make sure nothing else was creeping up on him. Having made sure that he was alone James walked over to the now almost unrecognizable body of the creature who had leaped at him. He found that the creature resembled a cat but only in the shape of the head. From what he remembered of this species they had six legs and multiple tentacles streaming from its shoulders. Those tentacles acted sort of like an electric eel and would wrap around its intended target and shock them enough so the creature would be paralyzed while the main body finished it off.
Remembering that this species known as haunths usually was a pack hunter he backed away from the carcass and began scanning his area for its partners, seeing none at the moment he began trotting in the direction of the ship hoping to get some distance in before they attacked again, for this species rarely let go of a creature once they had determined it as their prey. Hearing the wailing howls indicative of the haunths he realized they would attack soon glancing about quickly for a defensible position he spied a hill that had a fairly steep climb on all sides save one.
Figuring it was better than staying down here he rushed up the hill and turned around just in time to see the first of the haunths coming up the hill. Hardly pausing he started blasting away at the haunths taking down three of them before they had even realized he had attacked them.
Realizing their mistake at charging at him headlong they quickly turned about but not before James could pick off another two with his devastating cannon. Hearing a slight sound like that of gravel shifting off to his right he saw one of the haunths using its tentacles to vault it up the hill.
"Oh why couldn't they have evolved without the tentacles" Using one of his ion cannon blasters on his arm he blasted it off his rock to tumble limply onto its fellows below. Looking around waiting for another to show up he heard them wailing below. Not knowing what they were doing he just waited in the middle getting a sinking feeling in his stomach.
All of a sudden he heard them go silent and to his right he heard more scrambling. Turning that way he loosed a shot but found that it had been a diversion when he heard the thuds behind him. Whipping about he went blasting away at everything near him. Out of the corner of his eye he made out one leaping at him, dropping his cannon to the ground he used his force beam to devastating effect. It couldn't stop the momentum of the haunth fully though and it fell on him. Knowing he had to get up to fight off any more he pushed the body off of him and leaped to his feat... to find himself alone. Thinking it a ploy he waited 27 minutes anticipating another attack when none came he decided that he must have scared off the rest of them.
Not willing to be caught unawares again he set off toward the ship again at a more cautious pace with constant glances around. Soon after he arrived at the town that the ship was located in and found his way to the ship flashing his pass at the guards on both sides of the door he passed through and got his first glimpse of the "Maelstrom" and stopped dead in his tracks mouth agape at the sheer majesty that it was.
"Holy..." so shocked was he that his words barely came out as a whisper.
Shaking himself out of his shock he glanced at the time display and found that the time was 11:14. After a quick calming breath he continued on his way to the ship and entered where he found himself in the presence of a woman who seemed to be sulking a little. Hoping to cheer her up he said
"Hello there my name is James I do so wish you would give a lad a smile from your pretty face" Looking up at James Iridal gave him a smile
"Greetings Lieutenant Commander James Xavier Wolfe I am this ships AI my name is Iridal and it appears as if you are the second to arrive the first being the Captain" James then noted that there was a slight inconsistency to her proving that she wasn't really there. Nodding and with a smile James said
"It is very nice to meet you Iridal I look forward to being on this ship with you around. bowing low to Iridal he continued
"Would you mind to open the door for me please Iridal and tell me where I could stow my gear? Beaming at James Iridal opened the doors and said
"I would be delighted too take you there." motioning with his hand for her to lead on he followed him to his quarters on Deck 4. Leaving him at his door and saying good-bye Iridal left James alone.
Walking into his quarters he quickly took a shower and unloaded some personals. After that he went to the bridge and stood at attention with a
"Lieutenant Commander James Xavier Wolfe reporting for duty, Sir!