Utopia Planitia Fleetyards. Where two decades past there was nothing, now there is a hive of shipbuilding industry like no other, and showing no sign of slowing. In much the same way, two decades ago Larai Leaniss had no idea of what or who the Federation was, or the way it would turn her entire life on its head. This uniform, these people, this star, this creed, they were all unknown to her then. Yet here she is now, immersed in the middle of her adopted culture, her adopted fleet. She is a vanguard for the Amarkians who have followed her in their hundreds. More enter the Academy every year.
She cannot hide from how different to her ancestral home this is. Earth has a remarkably cosmopolitan population these days, especially in places like San Francisco and Paris. But Mars is far less so, and even the Fleetyards have a very strong human presence. Their culture is on display; the Olympus Mons Philharmonic is playing at one end of the auditorium, the alien rise and fall of string and woodwind catching her imagination in its otherworldly notes. Their dances are being performed. The human head of Starfleet, Hikaru Sulu, is moving around the auditorium.
It drives home how she is the tip of Amarkia's spear in the Federation. So many Amarkian children will read of the appointment of Captain Leaniss to a Five Year Mission and dream of their own voyage to stars more distant than the old knights ever dared. What a privilege. What a challenge!
The windows of the auditorium have zoomed in projections of the ship berths. She can see the early skeleton of the new
Enterprise-C taking shape. The bustle around a set of new Renaissances cruisers. But most importantly of all, she can see the brand new USS
Tarrak, and the NCC-2023 boldly printed.
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Captain's Log, USS
Sarek, Stardate 26237.5 - Captain Samyr Kanil
Shortly after starting our shakedown cruise we received a distress call from the VCS
Li'toor, a Miranda-A class frigate. Their ship is on the verge of a warp core breach, but they are in orbit around a neutron star, and the intense gravitational pull will start to draw in their lifepods if no one can reach them in time.
I have scoured the path ahead with Stellar Cartography, and I believe we can take advantage of shifts in local subspace topography to arrive much faster than a direct line course.
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Captain's Log, USS
S'harien, Stardate 26237.9 - Captain T'Rinta
A defensive platform in the Caitian system of Canis has become unstable, with the control processes switching into a faulty automatic mode. Regretfully, the CSS
Golden Arc, NCC-2811, and a Caitian cargo ship, were caught unawares by this change, and were struck with shields down by photon torpedoes and lost with all hands. Debris falling on the colony world has touched off further ecological disasters, but the most pressing concern is the still active weapons platform.
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Captain's Log, USS
Pathfinder, Stardate 26238.2
The USS
Lightning has joined us and we can now proceed to Laian to pay Starfleet's respects at the launch of their new explorer. I personally question the wisdom of sending a ship two and change times the size of their explorer, but then I suppose there's no point sending along a second line ship and insulting them that way.
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Captain's Log, USS
Kearsage, Stardate 26238.5
A successful survey mission alongside the
Zephyr has netted a supply of building materials. We are sending through a manifest to logistics command now.
[Gain +35br]
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Captain's Log, USS
Cheron, Stardate 26238.9
Starfleet Intelligence and the Federation Diplomatic Service's counterpart have contacted us. There is an urgent need to come to the assistance of a Concerned Citizens group within Sydraxian space and attempt to mediate a dispute. It goes without saying that this is an exceptionally dangerous move, and may jeopardise our Treaty of Celos compliance.
On the other hand, the opportunity must be taken.
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Captain's Log, USS
Avandar, Stardate 26239.3
While exploring the edge of Rigellian claimed space, near the Yrillian border, we have encountered a T'Kon artifact. It's exact purpose is unknown, but appears to be related to fluid redistribution in a sanitary return loop.
[Gain +10rp]
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Captain's Log, USS
Sarek, Stardate 26239.5
Arriving well ahead of schedule has apparently placed us barely in time. The situation was considerably more urgent that was initially communicated.
We are making a very high-speed approach to the neutron star to aid in getting out past the intense gravity. It will make it very difficult on our transporter crews. I am working with them to use the transponders of the lifeboats to boost their signals. There will be time for only the single attempt.
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Captain's Log, USS
S'harien, Stardate 26239.8
After arriving in system, we have been asked not to engage the platform directly. It has not yet targeted sights on the surface, however, it's target scanning has been growing increasingly erratic. There is considered to be an unacceptable risk that engaging the station in combat will cause it to target the planet.
I have devised a plan that will allow us to approach from the opposite side of the planet, and use a modified photon torpedo as a mine. Using our understanding of the Caitian schematics, and procedures, I am confident I can modify this torpedo to cause a momentary outage in the shields, during which we can beam a team aboard via shuttle.
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Captain's Log, USS
Sarek, Stardate 26239.9
The crew of the Vulcan ship is safely aboard and we will be delivering them to the
T'Plana Hath in the Nazra system, where I am told Councillor Stesk is interested in meeting me.
The intensity of radiation had nearly overwhelmed the lifepods, and we are needing to provide treatment for many, however, all hands are accounted for.
[Crew of Vulcan ship saved, one Vulcan High Command ship lost, +10pp]
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Captain's Log, USS
Pathfinder, Stardate 26240.4
It seems the xenopsychologists were right, the Laio reacted positively to the
Pathfinder's appearance. It seems that the advanced starship was inspiring to them, a sign of what their ship is intended to help them reach.
[Gain +10pp, +25 relations with Laio]
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Captain's Log, USS
Cheron, Stardate 26240.8
I am unwilling to commit much to official logs. However, I can say that we have managed a successful intervention in a particular brewing conflict between the Graduates and Vanguard, and helped establish some protections for the other factions. This even-handed approach has increased our performance as even the leading factions want to avoid a full-fledged civil war that could see millions of their people die.
[Gain +25 relations with Sydraxians, deliver a FDS team]
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Captain's Log, USS
S'harien, Stardate 26241.3
My protege in torpedo handling, Lieutenant-Commander Nath th'Uraav, was present in the shuttle, and proved instrumental in making last-minute corrections via tightbeam transmission to the torpedo to account for degradation in station systems.
After that, the team beamed aboard and deactivated the station, though the shuttle was lost in the process.
[Gain +5pp, +5rp]
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