Dead Drop (audio story)

Template:Infobox episode Dead Drop is the first episode in Vienna: Series One, produced by Big Finish Productions. It starred Chase Masterson as Vienna Salvatori.

Synopsis

Dwarfed by the burning star of the Hyspero system, two devastating battle fleets face each other across the stars. On one side, the Dyarid Primary Vanguard, commanded by Admiral Salaron aboard the starship Custodian. On the other, a Chtzin battle cluster.

Bounty hunter Vienna Salvatori's latest assignment brings her aboard the Custodian – but completing her mission and earning some poldaks is the easy bit. When all hell breaks loose with the Chtzin and the Custodian is left crippled and plunging towards the sun, a simple assignment turns into a battle for survival for the galaxy's deadliest assassin.

Plot

Lieutenant Paley gives the all clear for fleet perimeter regarding a reconnaissance mission. Ensign Roaig hails Admiral Salaron from the docking bay. Roaig is then told that Salaron is in conference with Supreme Commander Jamela K'lynn and is not to be disturbed. Roaig tells his colleague that there is a signal from transport frigit alpha nineteen, who has their new executive officer aboard. Roaig is feeling uneasy about their new arrival.

Jamela K'lynn states that Salaron has failed her for the last time, to which Salaron is highly apologetic. Salaron recalls to her that during a patrol of the Chtzin borderland, Captain Galazar ordered three fighter squadrons into enemy territory without authorisation from the Supreme Commander. This caused the Chtzin to retaliate, thus causing the fighter squadrons to be lost. K'lynn then turns to Galazar and uses her powers to explode his brain. She then orders Salaron to get the carcass cleared.

Salaron informs K'lynn that they are in shrouded orbit of Hyspero's star, in between Hyspero Major and Minor. K'lynn warns Salaron to never underestimate the Chtzin, stating that the Chtzin must not be allowed to enter the Dyarid Protectorate. K'lynn releases Salaron from conference to perform his other duties. Salaron receives Roaig's message and the frigit is allowed to descend,

A lady by the name of Commander Arcadia Corinth requests exits the frigit and requests permissing to board. She is welcomed aboard the Custodian by Salaron. To ensure Corinth is not a Chtzin spy, he performs a memory scan on her, which confirms her identity. He offers her a tour before showing her her quarters. He informs her that since the fall of the Wrath Empire, the Chtzin are approaching their territory in the remaining power vacuum. Salaron explains that the Dyriad Protectorate is a peaceful mission, whereas the Chtzin is a brutal, warrior race. He explains that Chtzin are an arachnid species with a hive mind, enabling them to get inside your head and influence you. Corinth is also warned to be weary of speaking about K'lynn so flippantly.

The Custodian finishes his sweep of the perimeter and heads for the far side of Hyspero Minor. Salaron and Corinth walk onto the bridge, making Corinth note that it makes her old ship, the Samaritan look like a museum piece. He points out the nodes arranged around the bulkhead, creating a data net, which itself meshes every battle computer in the fleet together. Paley informs Corinth that the Chtzin battle tactics are so random that it's mathematically impossible to guess what they'll do next. Salaron finishes the introduction and they arrange to meet at thirty-three hundred hours, leading Corinth to head back to her quarters.

Corinth speaks into her personal log, stating that she was hired by the Dyriad High Command, in the name of the Premier. She opens her bag and activates her memory box, remembering her real identity as Vienna Salvatori. She pulls out her assignment crystal, which informs her that her mission is to infiltrate the Custodian, gain access to and eliminate Jamela K'lynn, who is a Monk of the Inner Place, exhiled from the Isolationist Order on Straif after she murdered an entire order of novices. K'lynn has highly developed telekinetic powers. The crystal informs her that, if successful, she will receive nine million poldaks.

Custodian Command picks up a modulating energy signature from the Chtzin battle cluster. Salaron orders his crew to maintain shroud protocols and to hang fire. He orders Roaig to move all ships towards the asteroid field, where the Chtzin are sitting. As Salaron actives tertiary alert, Vienna uses this opportunity as a diversion, and begins her assignment. Luckily, Corinth is called to the Supreme Commander's Inner Sanction on Deck Seventeen.

The Chtzin fleet enter battle formation, giving them ten minutes before the Chtzin is within range of the Custodian. Salaron relays the information to the Inner Sanctum. Within the Inner Sanctum, "Commander Corinth" reports for duty. She is welcomed by K'lynn, who beckons her closer. Vienna takes no time to reveal her identity and points a weapon at K'lynn.

Despite being cloaked, the Chtzin are moving on an intercept course. Salaron refuses to fire, accepting that it could simply be a lucky guess from the Chtzin. At this, squadron forty is lost. K'lynn reveals that a memory box is useless against her. K'lynn enquires for her next move, using her name. At this, Vienna beings to shoot, causing K'lynn to laugh as the gun does nothing.

Meanwhile, Chtzin missiles are heading straight for the Custodian and its fleet. In the Inner Sanctum, K'lynn grows tired of Vienna and beings to choke her. K'lynn tells her that she can use the array around her to speak to the tiniest insect. She uses her powers to see the pain and suffering within Vienna's soul and wishes to 'release' her. Suddenly, K'lynn is set back and Vienna points out that she's blinded her with firecrackers. What she's actually done is hidden a defence mechanism inside her mind, that when probed with feedback into the telekinesist and work like a 'psychic bomb'. K'lynn mind suddenly explodes.

Salaron orders Paley to return fire, full power. He places Paley in command, orders someone to look for "Corinth" and heads to the Inner Sanctum. There, Vienna surveys the mess before confirming the termination of Jamela K'lynn. However, she fails to transmit the confirmation the Hyperspatial Data Network. Salaron enters and is surprised to Vienna. He heads towards where he expects to find K'lynn but is shocked to find her murdered. He blames Chtzin spies. Escaping the blame, the two of them head back to the bridge.

Cast

• Vienna Salvatori - Chase Masterson
• James Hayward - Ensign Roaig
• Alisdair Simpson - Admiral Salaron
• Alison Thea-Skot - Lt. Paley / Jamela K'lynn

References

Individuals

• Under the guise of Corinth, Vienna states that she is from Webster's World, formally of the Samaritan.
• Jamela K'lynn is the Supreme Commander of the Primary Vanguard, installed at the behest of the Premier.

Technology

• The Custodian is a hyperdreadnought, is thirty clics end-to-end, has thirty decks and warp propulsion.
• Salaron places the Custodian on tertiary alert.
• Vienna attempts to transmit the termination confirmation to the Hyperspatial Data Network.

Species

• The Chtzin are arachnids with a hive mind.

Notes

TBC

Continuity

• The Wrath Empire has since fallen, leaving a power vacuum, which the Chtzin and Dyriad Protectorate both wish to fill. (AUDIO: The Acheron Pulse et al)
• Vienna uses a memory box to hide her true identity and pass a memory scan. (AUDIO: The Memory Box)
• Vienna's mission is recorded on an assignment crystal. (AUDIO: The Memory Box)