Dhanyl was still surprised by this tactically unwise decision... The Captain should always stay aboard the Ship to ensure a strong chain of command in case anything happens on the ground. This was only logical and one of the first thing he learned after applying for a post in the SISDF (Sophon Interstellar Science and Discovery Fleet). It was the best way to minimise risk for the whole Crew, after all, no being could survive for long without its head.

Otherwise... Dhanyl wasn't completely convinced of Valorums ability to lead this mission. The Vodiany would probably be quite decent in command of a planetary assault and excel as captain during ship combat, but the saviour was first and foremost a science vessel. So if Valorum would unfortunately die, then maybe there would be a free captains chair for someone more capable of leading this mission...

Dhanyl comforted himself with these thoughts, leant back on the bench and resumed defending his coastlines against these barbaric idiots.

If Valorum could smile, he would have. If only because he remembered his family aboard the Endymion. Skil, Kyra, Rhea, Doro, Uma, and everyone else; the family he made, being so distant...he missed them.

"It's a gift and a curse, Martin."

Remembering the briefing going on behind him, he cut the conversation short.

"I have to go now. The away team is being briefed. Be well, brother."

-----

Stepping into the shuttle's central compartment as the conversation about weapons is going on, Valorum listens to the last bit of it. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, so he assumed he knew what he hadn't heard. After 7-1-4's predicament is resolved, he adds:

"Remember, even if we don't run into those giant worms or any of the reported insect life, the ruins themselves can still be dangerous. Failing structural supports, malfunctioning security systems, even loosened snow and ice; anything can be dangerous once we're down there, so we stay together and only split up if we need to. The Security team will maintain triangular formation around the Science personnel; I'll take point, Brother Rolak will guard the right flank, and Brother Tehik will guard the left. If you have a weapon and training and we get into trouble, help fill in the holes in our formation if you can. Otherwise, stay in the centre. I don't want any injuries or casualties if they can be avoided."

After glaring at Dhanyl, who completely oblivious continued playing his game while there was a briefing going on, Ylona return to the pilot's seat, closed the doors of the shuttle and spoke into the radio: "Shuttle to Bridge. We are ready to launch. Please open the bay doors." The clock ticking down on her communicator told her that they were cuttting it close with the launch window. They'd still make it to the surface if they missed it, but there would be an extended atmospheric flight, something that she didn't look forward to in weather like this.

Watching as Ylona left the passenger cabin for the Adamant's cockpit, Valorum found a seat of his own in the foremost section of the cabin, and spoke while sitting down in it;

"If I may have your attention for a smaller matter..."

With his helmet still tucked under his arm, Valorum placed his briefcase on his lap, opened it, and removed the small, spherical censer that he had used several times before. He held it in his hand so that the other occupants of the shuttle could see it before explaining:

"Normally, a Captain is completely absolved of the duties of their previous position upon their promotion. However, since that would leave the ship without a proper Chaplain while I possess the skills and equipment to fill that role, I still consider such my unofficial duty. In any case, a benediction for this team is in order before we reach the surface. It's no complicated matter, but if anybody wishes for their name to be specifically mentioned in the prayer, I would be honoured to include it."

Annoyed by the currently showcased stupidity, Dhanyl increased the game volume in order to drown the following prayer in music and the sound of battle. Of course, no one else could hear that under his Helmet.

0000 opened its eye at a mention of a prayer, 

[Santomonious drivel!]

one look around the cabin showed a mixed bag of reactions. Some, including the oddly interested Sower probe, seemed to be leaning inward. Others, including Dhanyl and an unfamilier Pilgram, seemed to be reacting with disinterest, possibly even hostility.

{Hmmm...}

Frame disabled the inaudable soundtrack and raised an appendage.

"Pardon Captain, I mean no disrespect to you personally, but I am afraid my beliefs run quite contrary to those that your species is known for. And if I am correct in assuming this "Benediction" is to be entreated from The Endless."

[Irresponsible madbeings.]

"Then I would request permission to have myself excluded from it, if possible. Either by letting me "Examine the rear compartment" for its duration. Or by phrasing the blessing itself in a way that only those who wish to have such entities gazes drawn toward them are under its purview."

(WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!?)

"Shuttle to Bridge, thanks. I'll you updated on progress at least once per hour. If not, well, send help." Slowly and softly, Ylona guided the shuttle out of the hangar using only the steering thrusters. Once it had reached a safe distance from the Saviour, though, she turned the little spaceship around and fired the main thrusters at full speed. On her screen, the trajectory prediction shortened more and more, until at last it hit the atmosphere in the right spot. Cutting back on the thrusters, she let shuttle fall freely for those five minutes until they'd be hitting the atmosphere.

"Don't worry, captain", she said with a humorous edge to their voice, "If they don't pray now, they're going to do it in five minutes when we fly through that storm. Of course, it's going to be a simpler prayer than you planned. Something along the lines of 'Oh gods, keep this brick flying straight, please.'" She chuckled.

With a sour face, Ylona waved the wisps of smoke that had wafted over out of her face and concentrated on the descent. She understood that the Captain had a right to practise his religion, but as a Vaulter, she felt automatically alarmed by the smell of something burning. Spaceships were delicate habitats, and if there was something smoldering, it usually meant danger.

Whil Valorum was droning on behind her, the Shuttle slammed into Tanye II's atmosphere, quickly decellerating from the contact with air. It was a standard operation, but with the smoke still lingering in the cabin, Ylona found herself staring at the temperature gauge for the outer hull, to make sure that it was capable of withstanding the heat of entry. Of course it did, not even having come close to the specified safe limit yet, and even if, the outer hull getting burned off would have not smelled anway. But no point in telling that her subconscious.

Maybe that distraction was why she did not catch the first gust of wind as she entered the clouds. Thankfully, Valorum was done with his prayer, otherwise the sudden lurching of the ship might have thrown him over. Disoriented, Ylona stared for a few seconds at the screen, feeling confused. She'd lost view of the guiding trajectory, and the screen showed nothing but white. With rising panic, she turned the shuttle carefully until at last she could spot it on her screen again. As she relaxed, the hand she had subconsciously closed the chain on her neck loosened as well.

Even though she was now on the lookout to keep the ship steady, it was still a rather uncomfortable ride, and everyone was relieved when the shuttle set down on the surface. Looking out the window and at her gauges, Ylona was for a moment confused and then worried. Standing up and turning around, she announced: "Okay, we're here, and the dip in the surface in front of us is where the entrance should be. You'll have to shovel some gravel out of the way, though. Yes, gravel, not snow. There's lots of snow in the air, but it doesn't settle down around here, because we're talking nearly hurricane force winds. If you have a bad surface to mass ratio, better anchor yourself", she said with an unsubtle glance towards Dhanyl.

The Sower luckily hasn't hit anything during entry and now was busy applying anti-freeze on its arms and then grabs  two shovels and one borer and keeps its arms as retracted as possible , the tools of course are too big to enter the small hatches for the grapple arms

"This Unit is ready for work"
<Sensors, on. Graviton engine still ready to cancel out the blizzard outside, Battery 98%, emergency one-use-battery ready, communication tools ready... that should be it>

As they landed, Dhanyl saved his game and closed the VR-cade (sophon humour) application. He readied his mining laser, gave a sharp look to Ylona, after all, he knew how to behave under extreme weather circumstances and activated the nano spikes on his boots.  

"So, how far are we from the entrance and can we get any seismographic readings of the surrounding terrain?"

"And what if he says no?", Ylona asked, butting into the conversation. "That's kind of why I mentioned that in the briefing. So that if we haven't we'd have time to pick some up. Now it's too late if we haven't. But since nobody said no, I guess everyone has a radio good enough to get through this storm. Or at least they think they do."

The howling of the wind got louder and was followed by a short shuddering of the shuttle. Ylona looked around with a worried expression. "I'll have to stay with the shuttle. I don't think the storm can tip it over, but snow it in definetly. So I'll fly it above the clouds and set down again once you want out of this freezer. I won't envy you stepping outside."

Annoyed about the time it took to get an answer to his question Dhanyl interrupted the conversation. 

"Yes, Yes, having com is great and all, but it won't be of much use to us if we get eaten by some worm. Don't forget that it just took a couple minutes for them to get our probe. So please, could anyone get some information on subterranean movement?  We have scanners for that, don't we?"