Captain's Log, USS Courageous, Stardate 21122.6 - Captain Victoria Eaton
We have departed Starbase 3 with parts of the ship still smelling of sealant, but everything looks to be ship shape and Bristol fashion. We will stretch the dear girl's legs before departing on our first mission.
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Captain's Log, USS Enterprise, Stardate 21128.5 - Captain Nash ka'Sharren
Thanks to the performances of Lieutenant Leaniss, we have been assigned to visit a quarrelsome colony world of the Andorians in the outer part of their sector. I am told it is a pleasant world, nice and crisp like the homeworld. I feel it will be a nice change of pace to be back among my own species for a while.
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Captain's Log, USS Sarek, Stardate 21129.3 - Captain T'Lorel
Long Range Sensor nets from Starbase 1 have picked up a Federation freighter on an unauthorised course. We are to intercept it and discover what it's intentions are.
I have plotted the most direct course and are preparing to intercept at Warp 7. They are not responding to long range hails
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Captain's Log, USS Kumari, Stardate 21129.6 - Captain Rachel Ainsworth
We have just received word from a freighter in orbit around Dunwich IV that the colony has been wiped out by plague. Another plague world, what the hell is this? We have responded to the SS Nkumba and ordered them to decamp to orbit the barren moon and wait there.
What I don't understand is, Dunwich IV is a Tellarite colony of some twenty thousand souls, and we have been receiving routine traffic indicating that nothing is wrong up until... My god, we still are receiving routine traffic. Either the SS Nkumba is gravely mistaken, or this is a trap. I have bumped this up the chain and requested reinforcements. In the interim, it's yellow alert, shields up, and maximum warp. If this is a trap, they've caught a lion, not a mouse.
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Captain's Log, Supplemental, USS Enterprise, Stardate 21129.7
We have received emergency orders direct from Starfleet Command redirecting us to the Dunwich IV system, where a suspected catastrophe has occurred.
I have, of course, heard reports of a plague that has appeared from time, to time, in the Romulan Border Zone. But this will be my crew's first encounter. I have ordered shields to full, and we are all going over our containment procedures. I must confess a little trepidation. What I've heard of this "Ulith III Biophage" ... the reshaping of flesh. It touches on something ancient and primal within the minds of mortal creatures...
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Captain's Log, Supplemental, USS Sarek, Stardate 21129.9
I have prided myself on my logic and dispassion for all my life. Today is the first time outside of certain private ceremonies that I have truly felt my self-control waver.
The SS Franklin has been altered by a bio-technical infection that has fused flesh and machine, letting an unknown intelligence pilot the craft. After further review, we have identified the contagion as the same one found on the outposts of Ulith III and Korlonia II. I have eliminated the contagion with a spread of photon torpedoes, taking care to irradiate the debris to destroy all biological matter.
My science officer has assessed the Franklin's origin to be the colony world of Dunwich IV, and we are now proceeding there at maximum warp.
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Captain's Log, Supplemental, USS Courageous, Stardate 21130.0
We have just been placed on notice to be prepared for an emergency deployment to a developing situation at Dunwich IV in the Romulan Border Zone. I am unsure as to what the situation is, but it has put the crew on edge. We have moved to Yellow Alert for the time being.
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Captain's Log, Supplemental, USS Kumari, Stardate 21130.2
My god.
It is every bit as bad as the SS Nkumba reported. The colonists have been ... fused. The communications centres have fallen silent since our arrival in the system.
I have taken charge of the situation, while Sector tells me that reinforcements are inbound. The Nkumba has been scanned thoroughly and is clean, so they have been allowed to depart, and they are making their way clear of the area.
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Captain's Log, Supplemental, USS Sarek, Stardate 21130.2
The Sarek has just arrived in the Dunwich system. We immediately observed a Romulan Bird of Prey decloak and destroy the SS Nkumba, a freighter moving to escape the system. That Bird of Prey began to hail the USS Kumari and inform them that they are outnumbered, and must leave the system or be destroyed. However, our arrival has caused them to fall silent and move to a standoff position.
I have spoken privately to Captain Ainsworth of the Kumari, and was able, with considerable difficulty, to restrain the human commander's passion, to prevent them from immediately opening fire on the Romulan. I have asked the sensor officer to find a way to expose the presence or absence of cloaked vessels in this system.
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Bridge Transcript, USS Sarek, Stardate 21130.3
[Capt. T'Lorel] You are in violation of Federation sovereign space, you are required to abandon your position now, and return to Romulan space.
[Commander Tolanek] It is you who must withdraw. Our patience is over. Stand aside, Starfleet, or be destroyed.
-- Channel cut --
[Lt Cdr Winslow] Captain, more ships decloaking! There are three more Birds of Prey, two D7s and one of their new explorers!
[Capt. T'Lorel] Four birds of prey and a heavy warbird to two Excelsiors, two Centaurs, two Mirandas and a Constellation. These are not logical odds for the Romulans to attack with. Signal the fleet, prepare to-
[Lt Cdr Winslow] Captain, there's a new ship arriving ... it's the Enterprise!
[Lt T'Pael] Captain, the Romulans have ceased their advance. They are coming around and are retreating.
[Lt sh'Horeth] We are receiving a hail from the Romulans ... it's a different officer this time.
[Capt. T'Lorel] On screen.
[Admiral Sihina] If you will stand in the way of us saving you all, then you must destroy the colony yourselves.
[Capt. T'Lorel] It sounds as if you are familiar with the contagion.
[Admiral Sihina] Only in the sense that a person is familiar with mortality.
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Captain's Log, USS Enterprise, 21130.8
We have secured from Red Alert, are are now orbiting the Dunwich IV colony with the pride of Starfleet alongside. The Sarek, the Kumari, the Courageous, the Cheron, the Challorn, and others are in orbit. There is clearly nothing that can be done for the colonists, but we are loathe to forsake the equipment that could tell the tale of terror of the last days of these poor people. Whatever did this, whatever...
[Communicator beep] Ka'Sharren here. ... On my way.
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Captain's Log, USS Courageous, 21130.9
The Dunwich IV colony is destroyed. It is a ... gruesome feeling, to fire on cities and towns. But after the hail that the fleet received. That biophage ... it's aware. It can use technology. It learns. It has been sending spoof communications for weeks after biding it's time for breaking out. It ceased the spoof communications the moment the SS Franklin was destroyed, so it is aware of itself from great distances. It learned from the destruction of the Ulith III and Korlonia II colonies, that if it does not control comms, it will be destroyed swiftly.
It told us in the hails that it's hunger will be sated, even if we destroy the colony.
While everyone hopes that that was the end of matters, no one is quite that optimistic. For us, we will return to our mapping mission soon.
[Gain +50 br]
[Dunwich IV colony destroyed. Federation Threat Level + 1. Gain 15 Political Will, Gain 10 Research. Tensions with the Romulans increased]
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Captain's Log, USS Excelsior, Stardate 21142.6
We have responded to a disabled Betazoid ship, and were able to get them back underway.
[+25 Diplomacy with Betazed, +5 political will]
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Captain's Log, USS Stalwart, Stardate 21146.4
While conducting a mapping mission within the systems neighbouring Andor, we have encountered a heretofore unknown deposit of valuable minerals.
[Gain +25 sr]
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Captain's Log, USS Lion, Stardate 21149.3
We have successfully studied a pre-warp civilisation in our sector that is growing near becoming warp capable.
[Gain +10 rp]
Computer, End Log.
