Saratoga Botany Labs

"You're awfully fidgety," Lieutenant Sarah Richards noted with amusement.

L'Naym looked up, eyes bright. She'd been in a state of near jubilation from the moment she'd been told that she would be a member
of one of the teams that the Saratoga was sending to the surface. After the briefing she'd practically run back to the labs to begin
sorting and packing the equipment she would need.

"Nervous?" the Saratoga's plant ecologist asked. "If you are don't worry; there'll be several people in our team." She nodded toward
the security officer with them. "And if anything goes wrong we'll have Lorn here to protect us."

Lieutenant Mothaya Lorn gave a brusque nod. "And I take my duties very seriously."

L'Naym nodded. "I know." From what she'd heard, the female Draylaxian was confident and determined with a fiercely protective streak.

"It's not that I'm worried," she went on. "It's just that…this is going to be the second world I've visited. When Tuskaro and I came
to Earth it was the first time we'd left our home. During our training we were so focused on our studies that we hardly ever left the
Academy grounds. This will be the first time that…"

"The first time that you'll really get to explore an alien world." Richards nodded with understanding. "No wonder you're so excited."

"And nervous," L'Naym admitted. "I want to do well."

Richards gave her a reassuring smile. "You'll do fine." She leaned closer. "I'll let you in on a secret; I'm excited too. There's nothing
like seeing a new planet for the first time."

L'Naym gave a merry chuckle. "And don't forget all of the new plantlife that we'll see!"

Richards laughed as well. "That too." Her love of nature equaled L'Naym's and the two women had struck up a firm friendship.

As she resumed collecting and rechecking her equipment, L'Naym silently reviewed the details of the mission briefing.

Every day McAllister's group and the Saratoga would send out five combined teams made up of both scientists and security. Some
would go by foot, others would take ground transports or shuttles. Each would head in a different direction and focus on a different
area.

Today Captain Kirk and Commander Thelin would be part of a shuttle team that would be running surveys of the planet's atmosphere.
(And if she knew anything about the Captain it would also be making one or more broad sweeps of the whole planet.)

A team of geologists would be taking a shuttle to the northern mesas. A team of oceanographers and marine biologists were heading
for the coast. A team of zoologists and naturalists would be taking a ground transport westward where herds of grazing animals had
been seen.

L'Naym smiled in anticipation. She would be part of the fifth team: a group of botanists and ecologists that would make its way south
on foot, imaging, collecting and cataloging plant-life.

Her lifemate would also be going to the surface, although he'd be staying at the base camp. He would be working with Dr. McCoy, whose
task was to go over the biomedical data that McAllister's group had put together and be ready to head out in case any of the teams ran
into trouble.

L'Naym chuckled internally. From what she'd heard about the doctor she was certain that remaining at camp and going over data was
exactly the sort of away mission he preferred.