A small probe exits FTL, the diminutive craft quickly engaging an onboard Slow-Cruise Drive which begins to take it into the system proper, as it does, it sends back information on the system via QDT, allowing the vast intelligence of the KAM onboard the duo of Fleetships positioned only a few dozen lightyears out to formulate a safe path. It would be impossible for the Fleetships themselves to make the journey, for that, small parasite vessels were being sim-tested.
In theory, the plan was quite simple. The vessels would sit within the transit bubble of the Fleetships as they enter FTL, aiming slightly off the direction of the quaternary system, the difference would be that the vessels themselves would be angled as such to allow for a slight deviation, not much, but enough that, multiplied over the distance of several lightyears, allows for a "horizontal shift" of several hundred AU, just enough to pull out of FTL in the system while the Fleetships keep on their way, exiting FTL at their leisure before returning to the starting point.
Of course, anyone could theorize, this is pretty much the space equivalent of jumping off a moving train onto a painted X without getting yourself killed by the lava pits on either side. But there were no better alternatives, as the large size of even the relatively small Fleetships would mean the transit bubble had too much energy behind it to reliably stop before they would likely jump out inside of a star.
-V-
It had been three hours, the small transport vessels had been forged and nearly a thousand individuals were loaded up, a full flight of vaguely FTL capable escort productions assisting and serving as ablative guard craft if needed. The FTL sling had, somehow, succeeded, allowing seven transports and around fourteen escorts to enter the system, they follow the path laid out by the probe from earlier and eventually make their way to the planet of note.
The landing site was quickly determined as a relatively isolated region, though a notable presence of another race to the east. The modified Z3s accompanying the transports were never originally designed to land, but that mattered little as the generally soft snow and their relatively hardy structure built to resist asteroid impact combined to make landing possible. It helped that they possessed no crew, so they can simply be ignored unless it's time to take off.
-V-
'Cold and borderline lifeless, WONDERFUL!' Thought Ai'haya while in the process of attempting to manipulate it's form around a KAM Sphere to allow for movement, the legitimately excited Kourenai finding itself making quite a few mistakes in wrapping around the nominally AI operated body as quickly as possible to get out and explore the surroundings. For what it's worth, it isn't like the others in the team are less excited, Peneti and Vyk are both quickly gearing up and preparing to disembark. The imposing Steli and relatively less imposing (yet no smaller) Aynci making for an interesting sight to those unused to the eclectic group of species that is the Concordance.
-
The door opens, and the world seems to expand, a mountain far in the distance showing it's form to the aged Steli, sensory nodes giving it a fairly accurate map of his immediate surroundings as he disembarks, to his right, the great mess of infrared that is an Aynci's moss cover giving away the actions of Vyk.
This place looks like a party
Garbled phonemes sound out from beside him, and the mobile boulder responds.
I believe somebody turned the EVC too low!
Peneti's gaping maw contorts open, his translator releasing a flurry of high pitched chords before falling silent.
Perhaps we should turn it back up then! Do them a favor.
The two continued to joke as they and the rest of the thousand or so personnel get to work setting up quick deployment housing, the landed transports offloading materials and supplies as needed. What they brought should be able to last the expedition for at least two months, long enough for a resupply and a proper base to be established.
