Captain's Log, Stardate 27532, USS
Rru'adorr - Captain Olon
We are in orbit over the Gaen homeworld, where we will be hosting a diplomatic meeting between three of the leading Institutes, a pair of Caldonian science academies, and a new crown-funded research institute that has been rising to prominence on Morshadd in the post-mentat era, in the interest of forming an interstellar research cooperative. The Gaeni and Licori organizations both requested Starfleet oversight to ensure that their counterparts negotiate honestly, and the Caldonians requested Starfleet oversight to make sure that the other two don't accidentally kill them all in an attempted demonstration.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37533, USS Odyssey - Captain Enad Rebin
Trade, trade, what is trade?
To many interstellar relations scholars, the first step to peace. Now, we've already had some successes in getting the Dawiar to trade with us, but we need to do something without Cardassian supervision, and make some inroads with the merchants. If we can demonstrate we are profitable partners, they might be inclined to help us sneak around the Cardassians and lobby the Dawiar leadership for closer ties.
To that end, we've secretly set up a meeting in neutral space between several Dawiar trading guilds. In addition to being a chance to meet with them directly, I have sensed tension between several of the major guilds. This presents an opportunity to show how adept the Federation is at juggling competing interests.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 27535, USS
Sarek - Captain Samyr Kanil
With some backing from the Mercantilists, the Federation Commission for External Trade has arranged for Rigellian and Honiani traders to be invited over to the League of Independent Felis Colonies for talks. The Felis aren't
quite the pre-Federation Orion Union, but the quickest way to their hearts still seems to be through the private sector. The merchants have already boarded the
Sarek and filled our cargo bays with whatever they think the Federation can tempt our new acquaintances with, and our course is laid in.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 27536.4, USS
Rru'adorr - Captain Olon
The representatives have all arrived, and there is already trouble. Despite the new Imperial Guild of Scientists being designed to create new generations of non-augmented scientists, many of their senior researchers and administrators are partial mentats, and their chief exotic physicist - the Mentat Rabena - is one of the few remaining full-conversion mentats who was modified before the war and has yet to expire.
The Gaeni and Caldonians have expressed their displeasure at having a full mentat arrive unannounced and with access to potentially dangerous technology. The Licori argue that they will need to continue employing their surviving mentats as teachers and research leaders until enough of their knowledge can be imparted to the new generation of conventional scientists, and that Rabena is one of the only individuals qualified to represent the Guild at this summit. Dr. Kasatt-Dahar of the Palas-Abbat Institute is threatening to call off the summit entirely for fear of safety risks, an unusual threat for a gaeni to be making, and he has the Caldonians' support.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37537, USS Opportunity - Captain Huth fop Makpol
Another day, another frontier colony calling for help. This time it's some miners who must have not been paying attention the last six times this happened and got themselves stuck in a cave-in. There doesn't seem to be any complicating factors, but they need a bigger phaser than what they've got on hand, and quick.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 27538, USS
Rru'adorr - Captain Olon
There has been a disaster. An exotic energy burst from the saucer section has temporarily disabled many of the ship's functions, and perpetuated beyond the hull to disable over one hundred satellites in Gaen's orbitals and disrupt communications across a large section of the planet's eastern hemisphere. We have managed to restore partial functionality to the main computer, and it has calculated that the blast originated in the laboratory space set aside to contain the Licori tech samples. Security will be down there as soon as the turbolifts are working again.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57539.5, USS Odyssey - Captain Enad Rebin
We slipped quietly into the Vonnet system, and found four merchant vessels waiting, no Cardassians or Dawiar government vessels in sight. We quickly dodged a diplomatic snarl, as all four vessels hailed us at the same time. Fortunately, Lieutenant Garrett reminded me that, by Dawiar custom, answering one particular call before the other would be an insult to the other three. I therefore held an impromptu video conference between all four representatives on my bridge.
It seems they liked me -- well, I know they did -- and they have accepted our invitation to meet in person. I graciously turned down offers to visit one particular ship, and invited them onto mine as equal partners.
This is keeping me on my toes. It's like being at the Fifth House Autumn Formal all over again.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37539.1, USS Opportunity - Huth fop Makpol
That was about as challenging as expected; one of our transporter technicians almost stubbed their finger on the button when we beamed the miners out after drilling a shaft.
No time to rest and recover though; a Caldonian research cruiser has requested Starfleet's assistance tracking an unknown cosmozoan that just passed through the edges of their space, and we're the only ship in range. There's any number of ways this could turn out.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37540, USS
Atuin - Captain Hassan Aharani
After parting ways with our new friends at Trillius Prime, we've resumed our survey mission, and we found a class M planet that hosts a particularly rich native biosphere. We have also, after some initial orbital scans, detected some unusual energy readings from a tropical wetland region on the planet's surface unlike anything that's been seen before. I've already gathered an away team, and am about to beam them down to examine the site.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 27541.5, USS
Rru'adorr - Captain Olon
One of the Gaeni scientists has been taken into custody. Fortunately, while the burst from the sabotaged Licori device wiped much of the telemetry data, one of the Caldonian scientists reported having seen her near a Jeffries tube opening holding a remote controller very far from her fellows just before the event took place. It would appear as if Dr. Kashtak has long claimed to have had her group's work on exotic energy effects stolen by the Licori.
The Gaeni have been made to swallow their words, and apologize profusely to the Licori. Fortunately, the Licori themselves have a high tolerance for this type of event, and the summit proceeded as planned.
[Gain +5 rp]
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37541.8, USS
Atuin - Captain Hassan Aharani
The away team discovered what appears to be a small impact crater mostly hidden and overgrown by the swamp, located very near the center of the anomalous readings. Based on quantum dating results, the event must have taken place no more than a few years ago, and yet there is no sign of the impactor. Curious indeed.
More curious still are the energy readings, which the away team confirmed are coming from the flora all around them. Tricorders are categorizing the emissions as electromagnetic radiation, but it does not appear to be any form of light known to science. The team will be returning shortly, with some carefully contained plant samples for study.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57541.8, USS Odyssey - Captain Enad Rebin
The Dawiar put up a courageous effort to seem unimpressed by our onboard industrial package. The wheels were certainly turning in their heads as to the opportunity any one of them might gain over the others if they had access to it first. So I graciously said that the technology could be shared equally if the Dawiar government would open up relations. I'll let that pressure sit in the Clan Halls on Kharhazad!
But that effort has been undone. Guild Chieftan Dokun wanted to hear some tales of my glory. They were unimpressed with some of my diplomatic achievements, so I highlighted using old Vigour to defeat a macrocosmozoan.
This prompted Ulbir to immediately offer me his daughter's hand in marriage. When I stated I was already happily betrothed, he offered his son's hand as well. This insulted Chieftan Kort, whom had been secretly promised the daughter to marry his son, a secret deal to merge their two guilds. He revealed this, which lead to Akesh and Dokun declaring them both treacherous and immediately starting a fight.
I now have four guild representatives in separate sickbay areas, no trade deal, and the nagging fear that one of them will call the government in out of spite.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37543, USS Opportunity - Huth fop Makpol
The organism was faster than we gave it credit for, but as I don't think it recognized us as a threat it wasn't exactly trying to flee. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure if it recognizes anything at all, because despite being nearly the size of this vessel it appears to have a brain the size of my left thumbnail. Well, we isolated the type of ionized particle it was grazing on, and sprayed out some more to lure it back to the Caldonians. I'm sure they'll find each other stimulating conversatio-
...well. And now, an Andorian frigate is in for repairs, and they're asking for someone to take its place hosting a minor diplomatic summit. This is a joke, right? This has to be a joke. Only, I'm not laughing.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37544, USS
Atuin - Captain Hassan Aharani
The six members of the away team have all fallen ill. Dr. Boh and his staff were unable to detect any toxins or pathogens in the patients, but they have all begun to emit very low, nearly undetectable, levels of the unknown radiation. Sickbay has been placed under lockdown, and all staff who will be in contact with the patients or the plant samples will now be doing so in full EV suits.
The plants, meanwhile...when seen under an ultraviolet lamp, the exotic energy within them becomes visible. It is strange, being literally at a loss for words. The plants are shining with a drifting pattern of different colors, but I can't
name any of them. Whatever I'm seeing, it interacts with human cone cells in a way that I'm not sure has ever been documented.
Lieutenant Violullen believes that rather than being emitted from some unseen contaminant, this radiant energy itself may be somehow self-propagating within living organisms. If he's right, then it may be possible to purge the...infection...with sufficiently intense gamma or x-ray bombardment, although doing so should obviously be seen as a last resort. In the meantime, we will try to find another treatment before the patients' condition becomes life threatening.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57545, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
[AUDIO REDACTED]
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57545.1, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
Forgive that horrible screeching there, forgot I had the recorder on. I think instead of progressing, my skill at playing the xintophone is getting worse.
Anyways! Exciting times ahead. The Yrillian government has wrangled the authority via proper plebiscites and consultations to allow us to begin examining the parts of the Garden extending coreward from typical 'claimed' Yrillian space. This is the route that Hattava famously used to flank the Yrillians and end that war some six-hundred years ago.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57546.2, USS Odyssey - Captain Enad Rebin
I have successfully wed Ulbir's daughter to Kort's son, exercising authority as a ship captain that apparently extends to even the Dawiar. Toasts have been offered, and Akesh and Dokun have been impressed by the speed at which Ensign Alemi and Commander Nejem threw together a feast.
The Dawiar have returned to their ships happy, and eager for more contacts like this. They offered fifty kilotons of starship construction material as an incentive to return. I played up dissatisfaction with their earlier behaviour, and in return they all decided to gift me an additional fifty kilotons of starship construction material.
[+10 br, +15 on Ashalla Pact tag (now 28/???)]
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37547, USS
Atuin - Captain Hassan Aharani
The away team members have all lost consciousness, and early symptoms are appearing among other crew members who they were exposed to immediately upon return from the planet. According to Dr. Boh, their metabolisms have accelerated to the point where they will soon begin digesting their own tissues, yet there is no fever; all of their biological energy is being released as the exotic radiation. When an infrared lamp was shined on Crewman Sesssir, his scales glowed with colors that I have seen only once before. The biology lab has been locked down, as the bulkhead and floor sections surrounding the plant containers are now becoming mildly radioactive themselves.
And just now, I've received a report of spontaneous computer malfunctions from throughout the same deck.
I fear that I've been left with no choice.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 27548, USS
Sarek - Captain Samyr Kanil
Upon entering the system, we were met by Felis ships which escorted us to orbit of the fifth planet, Marurar. Apparently, in the dominant language it means something like "cradle." The traders have been beamed down, and are being housed by the corporate entities that they're here to talk business with; from what I can gather, the role of the government is limited to providing security. One of the rigellians has already told me that her felis counterpart was shocked when asked if they'd be dealing with the planetary government, and made something of a speech about that being a hallmark of tyranny. I think I'm starting to understand why Task Force Beyond got off to such a rocky start with the Felis.
They've been welcoming enough so far, if disorganized. According to the history they've shared, Marurar is their oldest and most developed extrastellar colony, and one of the firsts to declare independence. Most of the landmasses are covered in shining, hologram-covered cities, and even parts of the ocean are built over. I feel like we have more to learn about these people than we've yet suspected.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37548.7, USS Exeter
Our mission is to complete the mapping of the Vintusian Gulf, the exploration of which was abandoned during last century's Apiata/Indorian border wars and never systematically resumed. It is a reminder of how far these peoples have come, that a ship containing crew members of both races is now continuing it.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37549, USS Atuin - Captain Hassan Aharani
The patients are no longer emitting the contagious radiation, and the ship has likewise been cleared. Unfortunately, they will be spending at least the next month in sickbay as they are treated for the radiation sickness we were forced to give them during the X-ray bath, and Dr. Boh fears that they will require frequent retroviral therapy for the rest of their lives to prevent cancer development.
I made the right choice. They would have died before we could return to Federation space if I hadn't. We might have all died, if the ship was disabled and left us stranded in deep space with the infection aboard. It was the only choice.
Now that we know what to look for, more intensive orbital scans have revealed a near complete absence of animal life in the area around the impact site compared to the surrounding regions, and there are signs that the vegetation may too be in the process of a much slower die-off. The area of effect is also, we have determined, still spreading. While this energy may in fact be a life form in its own right, it is one not native to this planet, and its presence will eventually reduce the vibrant forests, swamps, and oceans to a rocky tomb. As such, we're remodulating the phasers to fire a high-intensity X-ray laser that we will use to sterilize the entire region.
It's the right choice. I know it's the right choice.
[Gain +10 rp]
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37550, USS Opportunity - Huth fop Makpol
Not the most exciting summit this ship has ever housed, but I suppose that has its positives. Governor sh'Javral is one of the few Andorians I've met who can hold a properly strong discussion; always a pleasure in small doses. But halfway through the proceedings we received a communique from Rear Admiral Ainsworth; as soon as we're finished here, head back toward the Klingon border and give one of the listening posts a tune-up. I asked her if Risa is suffering overpopulation since that's where every starfleet crew in this sector besides mine seems to be right now, but off we'll be going.
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Personal Log, Stardate 57551, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
This has already been a very productive trip. The Yrillian pirates that frequented this area left these areas relatively intact. They have a fascinating pirate code under which they viewed themselves as the caretakers of this space. So they protected it in addition to, you know, raiding people. Gaining Yrillian cooperation has been a major coup for the FDS. For the first time in a century, we're turning over all sorts of rocks.
Three fascinating stellar phenomena in five days, giving the good science officer January tons of work to do. Several Rigellian and Yrillian war artefacts recovered, which would probably make Zolani jealous if she wasn't getting Ambassador. And a very, very tantalizing anomaly that has appeared on our sensors. I'm going to fly Enlightenment over there and give it a poke.
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Personal Log, Stardate 57551.1, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
I feel like I'm underselling this anomaly, so let me explain it a little bit more because it was hard as hell to get a fix on. We picked up EM emissions that occasionally flashed across our sensors, but we couldn't figure out where they were coming from. January was ready to dismiss them as background noise, but Vetin wasn't giving up. He'd gotten his doctorate in astronomy, and realized that the noise was actually the transmissions of some huge scanner that is being bounced to us as it scatters from gravitational lensing along its path.
So! Now the hunt is on to find this giant array and take a closer look.
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Personal Log, Stardate 57551.5, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
I regret taking a closer look.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57551.5, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
Upon arrival in the system known as LX-9175, we detected extensive ground facilities on the fourth planet, M-class, consistent with a very large telescope array. We took up orbit over the planet and made preparations to beam down. Lieutenant Commander Chen at Science then reported the array had shifted alignment and was now aimed at us, broadcasting at an estimated 5% power. Lieutenant Commander val Kegh at Tactical informed me that the full output of the array would present a severe threat to our vessel.
I issued a Red Alert and Commander Nercissus began to oversee tactical preparations. However, we have now been contacted by the 'facility.' I use that term loosely, because it appears to possess some sort of limited artificial intelligence. It has informed us any movement and we will be destroyed. Well, I've had worse introductions.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57551.6, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
The AI managing the 'Pure Intent Array' wishes to know our, well, intent. We have to convince it we are here only in the spirit of scientific inquiry. Apparently in the waning days of the Yrillian Condordat the scientists who established this facility became concerned about the militarization of the Yrillian people, and did not wish to see their science turned into a tool of conquest.
Makes me feel guilty for having a torpedo loaded. But the crew comes first.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37552, USS
Sarek - Captain Samyr Kanil
One moment, our people were ingratiating themselves to several of the local tycoons and even starting to write up trade agreements that could set the foundation for relations as we understand them. The next, our people are being interrogated, dismissed, and - in one case so far - arrested on suspicion of criminal espionage. I got the impression that the Felis are tight lipped and insular, but this just came out of nowhere.
I've managed to book a short conversation with one of the executives who we
seemed to be making progress with. She was unwilling to go into detail, but accused the Federation of attempting to do business with a competitor behind her back, apparently a grave insult. The Marurar government, meanwhile, is unwilling to even talk to us about the accusations against the obar trader that was arrested until the day of the trial, three weeks from now.
It's starting to look like the FDS dropped the ball on us. A really hard, really heavy ball.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 57552.2, USS Enlightenment - Captain Demari Iekn
Listen to your therapist, because talking problems through does help. While I stalled for time, Chen figured out the AI used some sort of Markov chain, call-and-response, weird test algorithm. Some study in the historical archives, and we found a proper chain of responses to its questioning that 'convinced' it we had only peaceful intent. Study was necessary because the algorithm made references to certain old Yrillian cultural touchstones that even the Yrillian members of my crew were unfamiliar with. One of my crew said "The Human equivalent might be 'Repeat not the pain behind Nobel's penance. Response I will not use this as dynamite.'"
Which didn't illuminate anything for me in particular.
While the equipment inside is old, it is sturdy and powerful. More importantly, the databanks are overflowing with information. Pure Intent has been studying deep-space anomalies for five hundreds years uninterrupted, including a century-long deep-penetrating observation of Sagittarius A*. It'll take decades for our scientists to dig through all of it, nevermind the new information its automated routines have it drinking in.
[New RP Colony - Pure Intent Array 8rp/yr]
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37554, USS Sarek - Captain Samyr Kanil
I think I'm on to something. It took some sweet talking, but I was able to get an early visitation with the accused under the pretense of arranging to pay for their legal counsel. Roinr has been provided with a detailed list of the charges against them, and was able to share those details. Cross referencing the people they were accused of having talked to with the people who they actually logged, and with public transportation logs...there's at least one discrepancy.
Unfortunately, the police won't investigate unless we can provide evidence of a "clear and imminent threat to public safety," and have told us to either wait until the trial to present our case, or hire one of the private investigatory firms. Naturally, none of the firms are willing to work with us, citing concerns about inviting a foreign governmental agency to possibly exercise force.
Well. I guess I'm just going to have to do the investigating myself.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37556.8, USS Sarek - Captain Samyr Kanil
Once we were able to get access to some de-classified company internal communication logs - for a price - we managed to find something. Somehow, someone provoked a frenzied game of telephone between corporate allies that ended with us being seen as a threat to their collective profits. A board member of one of the companies involved in this snowballing fit of mass hysteria was the man who provided the phony evidence that made Roinr appear to be a spy.
I made arrangements to speak with this individual. An hour later, he was murdered.
Well, at least now the police are cooperating with us.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37557.2, USS Opportunity - Huth fop Makpol
While repairing the listening post, we detected a Klingon freighter that's crossed into Federation space and isn't answering hails. We're going to have to abandon our task and get on this right away.
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37557.6, USS Sarek - Captain Samyr Kanil
The assassin was identified as a long-suspected local criminal. If there was any doubt as to his guilt, the man has also seemingly vanished off the face of the planet. The search is ongoing, but prospects appear dim.
Roinr has been released, and - while they haven't outright apologized - most of the corporations have resumed talks with our mercantile representatives.
[Gain +25 relations with Felis]
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Personal Log, Stardate 37558 - Captain Demora Sulu
The governor was right! Ashidi whitewine really does make a great basting for fish or poultry whitemeat, and it retains just enough alcohol throughout the cooking process to give the meat a subtle tingle in your mouth. I'm going to have to make this for dad next time I'm on Earth. I'm not going to have time to make it there before the
S'Harien completes its repairs, of course, but someday!
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37558.3, USS Exeter
Three of the stars in the Gulf just exchanged a burst of energy that propagated through subspace, through a very narrow corridor. Unfortunately, we have so far proven unable to determine the exact vectors, let alone the catalyst, for this event. Additional research should be conducted on this trinary system in the future.
[Event failed]
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Captain's Log, Stardate 37559, USS Opportunity - Huth fop Makpol
The freighter IKS
Fakrolnir is missing some pieces to Romulan disruptors, which explains why they couldn't communicate or navigate. Unfortunately, beaming aboard revealed that these klingons have been having almost as good a month as I have; for
some incomprehensible reason, they were ferrying three hundred live targs, half of which escaped containment and have been rampaging throughout the ship. With some parts of the ship too bathed in radiation leakage for transporter locks, we had to beam a search and rescue team over. With suits. And phasers. With bayonets on them.
The surviving klingons have been rescued now, and we have enough barbecued pork to feed the entire ship and then some. Now we're going to finish with that station and then I'm going to destroy OUR communications array before we can hear from anybody else.
[Gain +5 br, +5 rp, +5 pp]
