Intrepid:Fourth Mission - Another Drop in the Ocean

Mission Summary

Stardate 21412.06

Prelude

With orders to map an unexplored sector of space, the USS Intrepid made it's way into uncharted territory cataloging new star charts as we went. Captain Archer, without explanation, excused himself from the bridge putting myself, Commander Kaiser, in command. He then headed to Science Lab 13 with explicit orders to not be disturbed regardless of circumstance.

As unusual as that is, I obliged his request.

Mission

Within a short period of time from taking command, we detected a warp signature. From afar, we witnessed a world's first warp flight test. It rekindled memories of stories of Earth's first warp flight and here we were to witness it for this world. I then felt it appropriate to make First Contact with the planet.

Upon doing so, we were able to make contact with a Fankiir who turned out to be the man behind the warp project. He was a Vjeeiak in race and the planet was called Adhira. He worked for their Grand Potentate Raza. Fankiir seemed a nice man genuinely interested in friendships across the stars while Raza was more a politician where a friend is someone who can do something for you.

We met them in person on the surface of Adhira and was able to tour their main facilities. It was largely an ocean planet with one small island being their only above water city. We were led to tour the facility that housed the warp ship. It turned out that the materials to make it had been mined from a nearby moon. The Intrepid also discovered mass graves on the planet.

We later learned these graves to be that of the Minon, a second intelligent race on the planet, but treated as inferior to the Vjeeiak. A terrorist attack by the Minon, never designed to harm anyone, went wrong due to Raza placing fuel tanks inappropriately there in hopes the terror attack would be worse. Raza's goal was to use the attack to frame the Minon as extremists in hopes of soliciting the Federation for help to win a Civil War. The Minon, despite their terrorist tactics, for the most part did not wish anyone harm. Led by Mon-Loga, the Minon took several of our officers viewing this as a rescuing them. Raza, pushed the idea they were held as hostages.

I was injured and myself and Midshipman Yannor returned to Intrepid. Lieutenant Hill was captured by Raza where she was tortured and executed.

The Away Team captured by the Minon were treated for their injuries and befriended by the Minon. They then began to see how Raza gave a very tainted view of life on Adhira.

During my physical absence due to severe injuries, Lieutenant Commander DeWitt took charge of things. Raza and a delegation came on board with Hill's body. Raza claimed the Minon had done this to her and asked for help in fighting the Minon. Due to Prime Directive restrictions, DeWitt declined and ordered Korl on the USS Jefferson to rescue the away team. Once arriving they were approached by Niminik, Raza's head guard, and asked for support in a coup.

The cease fire allowed for the establishment of a new government elected by the people and one where the Vjeeiak and Minon would live as one people and be known as Adhirans. Raza was arrested for his crimes and will spend the rest of his life in a cold dark cell. The Federation will continue diplomatic ties with this new government and I look forward to a long prosperous future.

Logs

Below are the log entries for the mission, grouped by who wrote them and sorted by Stardate.

Acting Captain's Logs

Commander Dietrich Kaiser

Stardate 21408.13

Captain Archer has been missing for several days now without any word as to the events occuring in Science Lab 13. During this time we've proceeded on our mission of exploration and star mapping. We have been fortunate enough to witness one of the first warp trials for a planet called Adhira. The life on that planet go by the name Vjeeiak. The crew has issued mixed reactions to these new aliens but that is normal for First Contact. We head now taking the USS Spock to meet them for the first time and begin a friendship with this world. I'm excited to lead the crew in this noble endeavor yet wish the Captain could be here to witness these events himself. I know he'll regret having missed it.

End log.

Stardate 21412.06

The USS Intrepid had been sent to uncharted territory to explore and seek out new life and new civilizations. We wanted to attempt to get back to the core values of the Federation after the events with the Krynar. In the first few days of our mission, Captain Archer gave me command and excused himself to Science Lab 13. We have yet to hear from him. During this time, we were fortunate enough to witness the first warp test of a civilization in it's infancy of space flight. The planet of origin was Adhira which has two dominant species: The Vjeeiak and the Minin. We initiated First Contact and I led an away team to the surface to meet their leadership and see their warp facility.

During this tour, a terrorist attack on the facility occurred. Apparently the leader of the plant, Grand Potentate Raza, who led the Vjeeiak, was attempting to use a Minon attack to push for violence toward Minon activists. The Minon, however, never intended to harm anyone and rescued part of our away team fearful of what Raza would have done to them but Raza led us to believe they were taken hostage. Raza asked for help in the attack that we denied due to the Prime Directive. We attempted a rescue in the middle of their civil war and fortunately were able to remain neutral because Vjeeiak sympathizers for the Minon Movement were able to arrest Raza for his crimes and a new government has been formed where Vjeeiak and Minon can coexist with equal opportunity and rights. it's encouraging to see a world seeing past petty differences to make their world a better place.

Unfortunately Raza captured, tortured, and executed Lieutenant Hill. We have learned that she never gave up any information and died with honor.

We are currently on our way back to Starbase Alpha and expect to arrive in a few days.

Crew Logs

Ensign Elizabeth Rage

Stardate 21407.20

We are now knee deep in our newest mission, exploring an unknown part of space and already we have ran into a new species, who at the moment seem to be friendly. The Va-Jeek, as they are called, have sent us a whole slew of information about their planet and their people. I just hope none of this is a front to pull us into a trap of some sort. If you ignore that possibility, this could be very exciting. I have always wanted to be part of a first contact with a new species.

Other than that, there really hasn't been anything else to speak of. Been a pretty smooth ride up until now, uneventful and all that fun stuff.

Hopefully I'll have something more to report later on!

End log.

Lieutenant Ki'sa Orano

Stardate 21407.21

Now that chaos of a sure leave is well an truly over and done with we managed to yet again find our selves on a different chapter of the Galaxy,her stories are far greater than I could imagine, so much out here in space compared to back home and now we have a new mission which hopefully will not invole any blood shed, I feel the crew has had enough of that sort of thing to last them the rest of there lives. We managed to find a new alien race however they do seem friendly enough maybe a bit to friendly makes me nervous.

So far so good I will record more once I figure out what's going on I do belive however this is what the Humans call first contact wonder if it was the same when they encountered the Betazoids.

End log

Lieutenant Commander Kyle DeWitt

Stardate 21408.12

I'm not even really sure where to begin. I've got to start somewhere. The Intrepid has been assigned some actual exploring for a change with the Krynar threat eliminated. However, just as we began our mission something down in Science Lab 13 took Gabe's attention from the rest of the ship. Essentially this has left Commander Kaiser in command of the ship as our captain gave us no time table for his return I guess you could say. What's so important that his ship isn't of any consequence.

Don't get me wrong, Dietrich has earned the right to sit in the center chair. I wouldn't be surprised if he was offered his own ship in the near future. But that doesn't change the fact we are currently without our Commanding Officer. Needless to say I've stepped up on the Bridge, helping the Commander out any way I can.

We now face ourselves with a First Contact situation. The inhabitants of this planet call it Adhira. Seems to throw the book out the window, Commander Kaiser is leading the away team and taking Commander Jackson down as well. I've effectively been left in command with our three most senior officers now off ship.

I'm a little nervous, but my training should allow me to command the Intrepid without problems. In fact, we've got our own mystery up here. We're detecting signs of an abandoned colony on Adhira's moon and remnants of a sublight vessel debris on another planet in the system. There has been some wonder if these people are all they appear to be, and I hope with us investigating it could shed some well needed light.

Eng log.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Ki'sa Orano

Stardate 21408.27

I do not know where to begin here, I am so angry and upset it's not even funny, we set a destination to the water planet, and the welcoming was as you would expect warm and false at the same time.

Let me clarify what I mean by False, even though I could not sense any Mal intention towards the away team, I still had a sense of a fore showing it's hard to explain but It was as though the Human part of me was telling me to not trust my Betazoid sense, Heck I've been dead wrong before just look what happened back at the Academy when I thought that Ferangi was stealing from the bar.

Alas this is different the Humans have a great expression I just can't think of what it is right now...Guts Feeling...Yes that's it that is what I have been getting since we landed on the water planet, what's worse during the Tour of the city or cupon?...umm compound..?, I spotted some Alien beings being used for slavery....it broke my heart, just looking at those poor people doing manual labor it just boils my blood, whats even more annoying is I have to follow the rules, starfleet have rules upon rules upon..the point has been made yes?, like I was saying the rules state that we cannot interfere with alien cultures, but if they join the Federation ha slavery would have to be demolished right?.

I hope...no I pray to the great Divines that Bless Betazed that they look after these people until I can find a way to help them, I might get into deep trouble but if this mission turns ugly I will do my darn est to do the right thing no matter what every life has meaning and it is a gift that was bestowed to all.

Now I am ranting I better end the log

End of log.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Brocor Korl

Stardate 21409.03

Commander DeWitt has left me in command during his absence to check on Commander Kaiser in the Sickbay. I'm naturally surprised by the sudden transfer of power, but I can't allow doubts and worries to cloud my judgement. We're currently in a delicate and potentially dire situation; the majority of the Away Team is currently MIA, and although we're doing everything we can to re-locate and bring them home, things may be worse than we'd originally feared. It's possible we've stumbled upon civil unrest, and that our sudden appearance from beyond the stars has sparked a full-blown revolution. If so, the Prime Directive is so far behind us it's barely a blip on our radar any more.

Midshipman Wolf has reported for duty, and just in time it may seem. I've read her extensive files, and she sounds like she'll be more than capable of handling herself in any situation this mission - or any for that matter - throws at her. I'll be eager to see where her career leads.

End of log.

Ensign Elizabeth Rage

Stardate 21409.14

This mission has turned into a nightmare.

The away team has gone missing aside from two, and it's not looking well. We have been working on trying to locate the rest of the team, coming up with various ways to scan and still come up empty. They have to be on that planet somewhere, there has to be a way to get a location...somehow. I have been trying to come up with something, anything that will give us even a hint as to where the rest of them are, but I keep coming up blank. The others have been giving it their all as well, but you can tell there is some frustration floating around from the lack of results.

Hope. That is something we cannot afford to lose right now, something I cannot afford to lose right now. I feel like a failure at the moment, like I'm letting the others down in a sense. I keep slamming my head into that brick wall hoping for some answers, hoping for just a nibble. So hope is what I'll hold onto, for now.

End log.

Stardate 21410.13

It wasn't until my grandmother passed away that I finally realized life comes to an end no matter what, whether peacefully or in absolute chaos, it will happen. And to sit there and watch as that person takes their last breath, take in those last colors before darkness is one of the most terrifying things I ever witnessed. I hadn't given that memory much thought in a long time, not until we received the news that a member of the away team had been killed.

No.

Tortured and murdered.

It was one of the female members, we have no name yet.

I find myself overcome with grief, anger and regret. Regret because I didn't take the time to get to know each one of them. That aside from one, I couldn't stand in front of them right now and be able to place a name to the face. Ki'sa is one of those members, my friend with whom I shared adventures of crazy psycho zoids and mischief with at the academy. She doesn't deserve to die, none of them do, not like that.

Death should be when you're old, when you have fulfilled every purpose you were meant for, when you finished your dreams, lived your life. Death should be peaceful, like laying down and going to sleep in the most comfortable bed with everything and everyone you love near by to keep you warm and safe until that last second of spark extinguishes and you blissfully drift away into your enjoyable dreams. It should never be painful, never alone, never afraid. And for those we leave behind, those who were with us for those last precious moments shouldn't grieve. They shouldn't grieve because that person lived their life, they held a purpose and that purpose should live on in those left behind.

But all that is just wishful thinking, because life is cruel and unfair and we don't get to pick between a peaceful passing or an unexpected one. We don't get to pick because that's life.

The Grand Potentate Raza will be beaming aboard shortly, along with the body. I've been asked along with the rest of the bridge crew to be there during the transport, and to be honest I'm dreading it. I'm not sure how I will feel when they arrive, though I'm not alone as I'm sure the others feel this as well.

I just want to get this over with.

To pay my respects.

To say...goodbye.

End log.

Midshipman Jadaris

Stardate 21410.28

Its been an interesting time on board the ship. I finally get to go on an away mission, but with a slight twist. I have to use the same techniques I used in locating the Minon base in rescuing our lost away team.

It came at a cost however. Commander DeWitt seems to have got in into his head that breaking the Prime Directive is a great idea. We had no right to attempt a peaceful solution, or offer any aid of any kind in their civil war. The Minon and Vjeeiak are protected by the Prime Directive as long as this internal conflict continues. Precedent exists with the Klingon Civil War; Star Fleet was not allowed to interfere or intervene with Klingon affairs because of the Prime Directive. The whole diplomatic solution isn't allowed by General Order One. We have to recover our crew without interfering too severely with their war. Because of this incident, I am now on report for voicing my concerns to the Grand Potentate, and also for derailing the diplomatic solution. If Star Fleet decides to court martial DeWitt for a General Order One violation, I can at least say that I prevented him from taking flak from that angle.

One officer is down; a female Security Lieutenant. Death isn't much of a stranger to me. Too much time spent in unsafe mines I think. I don't have enough evidence to draw conclusions on who killed her however. I'm going on the away mission with my bat, just in case. Hopefully, large blunt objects aren't considered a violation of protocol. That, and I hate firefights. My reflexes are much too slow to keep up with the pace at range. I'd make a good sniper, but I don't think carrying a phaser will be much good. I'll trust my scales and baseball bat over a phaser.

Well, looks like its almost time for the mission. Guess I will have to collect my equipment and get to the USS Thomas Jefferson. If I don't come back from this mission alive... no, I will come back from this mission. None of this maybe stuff. I might be claustrophobic, but I will come back alive. One metal can is no different than another. Just that one flies and the other stews underwater.

End Log.

Ensign Elizabeth Rage

Stardate 21412.07

So, we eventually took the Jefferson down to the planet and was able to transport into the base where the away team was being held. We got them out safe and sound, and things on the planet seem to be doing well considering how it was going when we got there.

I'm just glad it's over.

I'm looking forward to some shore leave, some rest and hopefully some fun along the way. I think this whole crew could use some fun to be honest, after everything we've been through we could use about as much fun and relaxation we can get before our next mission.

Now it's time for some sleep, lot's and lot's of sleep.

End log.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Brocor Korl

Stardate 21412.14

... I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to start this log. It would feel shallow and false to declare the completed mission an absolute success. I definitely wasn't prepared for it, neither physically nor mentally. My injuries from the prior incursion left me in what some believed to be less than ideal condition for Away Team duties. And, as a result, a member of that team died.

At least, that's how I feel half the time; that if Commander Kaiser had simply believed me when I stated I believed I was physically able that Lieutenant Hill would still be alive, that I would've been able to protect them all and come out of it fairly unscathed. But he didn't, and as a result I was made to stay behind and act as Commander DeWitt's First Officer in the absence of Captain Archer (but more about that at a later time), and Dorsey,Hill and Hutch went in my stead. And I can't help by feel every bad thing that befell the Team from that moment onward is due to my incompetence.

The old Korl - the brash, prideful Korl still deep inside me - he's angry at Kaiser for the executive decision the Commander had to make, wants to blame him for everything, but I know that's not the case. All commanding officers dread the scenarios he was placed into in these last few days, where the only decisions to be made were the best of bad ones. I don't blame him, in fact I sympathise completely.

As for Lieutenant Hill, I had the obligation to review the circumstances surrounding her death, from witness accounts within Raza's personal guard during her interrogation to the full autopsy carried out by Doctor Praxis. What I read and heard were dismaying to say the least. To think the Potentate was so desperate, so overzealous in his pursuit of eradication of the Minon people that he would torture and brutalize an innocent visitor to his planet in the vain hopes of obtaining Federation weaponry... the depths to which frightened men will stoop to keep a firm grip on their power never ceases to sadden me...

Hill, by all accounts, was resolute and committed in her duties, remaining silent until the last. Given the circumstances and her performance under those dark conditions it is my solemn request that Lieutenant Hill be awarded a posthumous commendation with honours. It's the least she deserved, and may Kolker guide her to her ancestors.

Well, I have been summoned to the Holodecks by Commander Kaiser, no doubt for my Command Exam assessment. So this is Lieutenant Korl, signing off.

End of log.

Petty Officer Second Class Ren Imaru Ghorev

Stardate 21412.15

Our most recent mission was certainly interesting though I once again found myself in a ringside seat. That doesn't bother me so much I guess. It allows me to focus on my research. I do often find myself having to run Sickbay however and that is a challenge. I am not and have never been a leader of any kind. All I want is to explore and research.

The biological data retrieved from the Adhira on the two main species has already filled many of my hours. Truly fascinating. I have already begun my assessment and final report on the matter and it's five pages long. I can't seem to shorten it.

In a way my dedicated research has been more for distraction purposes. The autopsy I assisted with for example, has been plague my dreams. Although it was not the first autopsy I had attended to, it was certainly one of the more gruesome. Such obvious physical violence made me sick to the stomach then and still turns it now. I was fortunate to have Doctor Diomedes there to run things, or it would have been disastrous. I still can't wrap my head around how someone could do such things to another living being, but psychology had never been a strong topic with me.

Anyway, I should return to this report. See what I can cut from it.

End log.