Saeihr-hveith Mission 02: "Deadly Liaison"

Mission Summary

While in the midst of a second shakedown cruise, the Shadowhawk receives a mysterious distress call and changes course to investigate. They trace the message to a small uninhabited planet in an isolated system and are surprised to find that it originated from a secret Tal'Shiar research facility. A rogue pathogen has spread through the base, and its commander requests the Shadowhawk's aid to find a cure. The crew of the battle cruiser ends up racing against time after two of their own become infected. The threat that a saboteur in the facility has infiltrated the Shadowhawk forces V'Tana to make an alliance with the Tal'Shiar commander in order to learn the truth about the base and capture the person responsible.

Logs

Ohrainir s'Leih (Captain's Log)

Saeihr-hveith 20809.28

As soon as repairs had been made to the damage we obtained in the Battle of Starbase 157, the Shadowhawk left Hdrael 41 to begin our second shakedown cruise. Since our first such voyage had been interrupted by Enriov Tei's summons to the battle, Enriov Menik graciously allowed us a second chance to test the limits of our ship and to become more familiar with it. I don't wish to have a repeat of our first battle, when an inexperienced crew was forced to learn in the heat of combat and unknown to us stress fractures contributed to our premature demise. Menik promised no interruptions. I decide when the Shadowhawk is ready to rejoin the galae. Even Tei can't recall us.

Our shakedown cruise started off routine. Our first five days were filled with drills and engineering tests. Most things ran smoothly, and the crew's efficiency ratings gradually improved. On the fifth day though we intercepted a priority one distress call. The message was brief, but we were able to trace it to the Sal'rin system. No other vessels were capable of responding, so I ordered the Shadowhawk to investigate.

We arrived in the system two days later. There were no signs of ships in the area. The origin of the message seemed to be the fifth planet, a lifeless rock with little value. Indeed, the whole system holds little value. It aroused my curiosity that a distress call had emanated from here. The answer to the puzzle though came in the form of a Tal'Shiar ssiebh named Valis. Apparently they'd hidden a research facility on the planet, and the distress call had been sent due to an outbreak of illness that had overwhelmed them. Valis requested our help, and I agreed to allow an away team to investigate. Arrain Domaere is leading the team, which consists of medical and science personnel, as well as security officers and a tactical crewman who went undercover to assess the facility.

I don't trust Valis, but he does need our help. That gives me the advantage in this situation, and I intend to play that advantage for all that it's worth. There's much to be gained here by helping him, though the utmost caution is to be observed. Valis has admitted to me privately that the facility is engaged in chemical weapons research. That the Tal'Shiar has hidden this research from the galae indicates that whatever they're doing down there isn't completely legitimate, and I'm sure Valis has only told me what he feels is the minimal information to ensure my cooperation. I intend to find out what he's really hiding. I await a report from the away team on what they've discovered. I'm sure though that there's value in being here, one way of the other. With the way things have been going in the Shiar lately, it's time I start thinking about my own power base. The stronger it is, the better the chance I have of emerging a key player when Tei finally makes his move.

On that note, Domaere has discovered that Tei has planted agents aboard the Shadowhawk. She has proven to be a valuable and loyal ih'hwi'saehne. I gave her the authorization to run an investigation into the matter. I plan on staying out of it personally. Should it go wrong, Tei won't be able to use it against me. If I am going to come out of this strong, I need to appear innocent of all intrigue. Domaere and the rest of the crew will be rewarded for remaining loyal to me.

End Ohrain

Saeihr-hveith 20810.29

I regret to enter into this log the death of my Ih'hwi'saehne, Arrain Domaere. Her death came as a result of the illness that has spread throughout the Tal'Shiar facility on the planet below. Though precautions were taken to keep the illness isolated, it has apparently made its way through their defenses. The loss of Domaere was unexpected and unfortunate. I'd just come to trust her as a loyal ally, and she had proven herself quite valuable to both me and the Shadowhawk. It will be hard to replace her. I haven't yet begun to consider who I might choose or where I will look. The developing situation on the planet and in the ship is more pressing in its urgency.

Ssiebh Valis, commander of the facility, now believes that the illness, caused by a parasite, is the result of a saboteur within his group. He and erei'Erein Taris are investigating. On that note, the Shadowhawk has experienced some unusual glitches. Replicators and sensors have malfunctioned, though diagnostics have shown them to be in perfect working order. The science console and lighting on the Hwaveyiir have also been affected. These incidents began to occur soon after our arrival at Sal'rin V. I can't ignore this as coincidence, especially after hearing Valis' concerns, and we've begun an investigation into these occurrences. If I find that someone on the Shadowhawk is responsible, I shall personally slit their throat, after Dheno has extracted all the information they can from them, of course.

I have to wonder if all this might be related to the investigation that Domaere was conducting on the possible infiltration of the ship by the s'Tei. Nothing in Valis' record indicates any connection to the s'Tei clan, but then again Tal'Shiar records are hardly reliable. It's possible though that one of his staff might be loyal to them. This is pure speculation at the moment though, but speculation is all the I have to go on. There are also many others who would benefit from the destruction of both the Shadowhawk and the facility below us on the planet, including the Lloannen'galae and the Ra'faicolsu. For the time being, I'll work in cooperation with Valis to solve this mystery and bring those responsible to justice. Domaere's death will not be in vain.

End Ohrain.

Saeihr-hveith 20901.02

As the investigation into a possible saboteur continued, science staff were able to isolate the rogue computer program that was causing disruptions to our system. Working with engineering, they managed to switch to our secondary computer core and shut down the primary, wiping it clean and reformatting it. It was brought back online with increased firewall protection, but the code is still in the secondary system, and it will only be a matter of time before it manages to find a weakness in the firewall.

The source of the code was located in a communications array at the Tal'Shiar facility below. That clears any member of the Shadowhawk crew from suspicion thankfully. I wasn't relishing the fact of discovering a traitor within my own crew. The transmitter on the array has to be shut down before we can ensure the safety of our systems. Taris and R'Mor are working together down on the planet to do just that. I have yet to hear from them on their success or failure.

The parasite that claimed Arrain Domaere's life also infected Erein S'Ten, my Daise'hiifve'afwe'saehne. Though ill, he continued to work on finding a cure in conjunction with the medical staff here on the ship. His rapidly weakening condition however forced erei'Erein s'Jeiai to beam down to the facility and attempt an experimental treatment. Thankfully, she was successful, and S'Ten has recovered. The two maenekir are now working to cure the survivors of the facility.

Ssiebh Valis requested a private conversation with me in person, and I beamed him aboard the Shadowhawk to hear what he had to say. He has requested my help in destroying the facility and transporting his crew to ch'Rihan. While normally I wouldn't consider helping or cooperating with the Tal'Shiar, especially when I know they've been involved in something as dangerous as developing biological weapons, I'm inclined to go against my usual instincts. Valis seems sincere, and I believe I can gain more from cooperating with him than I can by refusing help and reporting his actions to Central Command. I feel it's time that I begin building my own allies instead of relying upon Enriov Menik to support me. Valis will owe me a favor, and if the future holds anything like I believe it will hold, I may need all the favors I can get.

We've also detected a possible cloaked vessel in the system. Valis has asked that we destroy the facility immediately, fearing its further discovery. I too fear that, but for a different reason than I imagine he does. I don't wish anyone to know what we're doing out here, and I need to cover my tracks.

End Ohrain.

Saeihr-hveith 20901.13

Official Log Entry, sent to Central Command

After completing a rescue drill on the planet Sal'rin V, the Shadowhawk is returning to Hdrael 41, where it has been reassigned to the Fourth Fleet. The crew performed well on the planet, simulating the rescue of survivors from a crashed vessel. Medical personnel treated the injured with a success rate that exceeded the approved average. Security personnel professionally secured the safety of the crash site, and science personnel were diligent in investigating the cause of the crash, which was simulate by the launch of a science probe into the planet. To clean up after ourselves and to test our weapons and targeting systems, tactical destroyed the simulation zone. All went well, with the exception of the loss of my First Officer, Arrain Domaere, who died during an accident while leading the rescue efforts. Her death was the result of attempting to help some of the injured victims and will be noted in her death certificate as being in the line of duty, with a commendation recommended.

Personal Log Entry

Both Shadowhawk and Tal'Shiar personnel have been evacuated from the facility on Sal'rin V. Several members of the facility's staff who were beyond the point of being treated for the parasitic infection were left behind however, and the base itself was destroyed by our weapons fire. No trace of it remains. We've also encountered no further evidence of a cloaked vessel in the system. If someone was there, they've left, or if they're still there they've been very quiet. If anyone was around, they won't find any clue of our reason for visiting the planet, and my official log entry should take care of an explanation for our time spent there.

The Shadowhawk has been ordered back to Hdrael 41 instead of being allowed to return to ch'Rihan. We've been assigned to the Fourth Fleet, and I expect we'll see battle again soon. Ssiebh Valis' crew has been securely settled into Hifvai'rhe and Haerht 4 for the duration our our journey. Once we arrive, I'm expected to meet with the base commander and Enriov Kaenmie. It's my understanding that a departmental reorganization is to take place, and there are crew reassignments as well. It should be a busy shore leave, if one could call it that.

I've named Erein I'Dartha as my new First Officer. I feel his leadership skills and his loyalty to me make him the perfect choice for the position. I don't want to take the time to look for any outsiders, nor do I feel inclined to trust anyone outside my current circle right now. If the s'Tei have truly tried to infiltrate the Shadowhawk, I don't plan on giving them a chance to do so through a command position.

End Ohrain.

Ohrainir s'Saevha (Crew Logs)

Erein I'Dartha

Saeihr-hveith 20901.13

What started as a general shakedown cruise for the Shadowhawk, ended up as a rescue operation. Answering a distress signal we arrived in the Sal’rin system to find a Tal’Shiar facility run by a Sseibh Valis. During our time there we lost our current Ih’hwi’saehne, Arrain Domaere, to an illness. Then our Daise'hiifve'afwe'saehne, S’Ten also became ill. However, due to his excellent staff he recovered and managed to defeat the problem.

Also, our systems were compromised by a computer virus instigated by a Ra’faicolha vang’radam. Dheno’saehne, erie’Erein Taris, investigated this, the vang’radam has since died and the virus eradicated by the smart work of Vriafwen’saehne R’Morr in conjunction with Taris. I have sent a commendation to the Daise’vriafwen’saehne regarding R’Morr’s work.

Officially, we have conducted a training scenario, which included target practice. I understand we have been re-assigned to the 4th Fleet, and we have now arrived at Hdrael 41 for a well-earned rest.

Much to my surprise the erie’Riov promoted me to Ih’hwi’saehne, to which I feel doubly honoured. From Daise’Dheno’saehne to Ih’hwi’saehne in such a short time is something I never expected. When I accepted the promotion, I did feel some sadness that it was the demise of Arrain Domaere that left the position open. This is the second Ih'hwi'saehne that this vessel has lost, lets hope that my time is not cut short. I will make the Leih proud that she granted me this honour, and that I live up to our deceased comrades expectations.

Another curious thing, our long-range sensors picked up a cloaked vessel. It could have been a Tal’Shiar vessel or maybe from Central Command. This has made me feel a little uneasy that someone is possibly watching us. I shall have to keep my eyes and ears open to protect the Leih and this crew.

End Ohrain.

Erein S'Ten

Saeihr-hveith 20811.16

In four hours I will probably be dead. Arrain Domaere has already died. The Shadowhawk has had two Ih'hwi'saehnein and I have performed both of their autopsies. I wonder who will perform mine.

Everyone who wears this uniform knows the dangers that come with it and I can think of no greater honor than dying for the Shiar. I just had hoped it would have been in battle with the Lloann'mhrahel and not like this.

Initially, we thought that some sort of pathogen was responsible for the illness and subsequent deaths of several of the personnel here at this Tal'Shiar Facility. It seemed the most plausible answer when we learned from the stations commanding officer Ssiebh Valis that this facilities function is to create biological weapons.

Despite the rigorous quarantine and decontamination protocols put in place by the facility commander, some members of the Away Team, Arrain Domaere and I became infected when we beamed down in response to their distress call.

At least her death was not in vain. From her autopsy, I was able to determine that the illness down here is not caused by a pathogen but by a parasite, a parasite that is attacking us from within by eating our heart, lungs and brain.

It is now believed that the parasites were deliberately introduced into the facility to destroy it and the crew. erei'Erein Taris is heading up the investigation along with Ssiebh Valis to try and find if a traitor or enemy is responsible. The medical and science teams have been trying to come up with a way to neutralize the parasites.

I’ve been working closely with Maenek s'Jeiai, who is back on the Shadowhawk. I have forwarded all of the data that I have collected from here. At first, we had no success, but we now may be on to something. I believe that what we have come up with will eventually work, I just don’t know if it will be in time to save me. So I find myself in a race, a race against time and ultimately death.

So this maybe my last log entry, if so, I want to say that I love you ri'nanov and that I was honored to die for the Shiar like my di'ranov and dinam before me.

End ohrain.

Computer, transfer ohrain to the databanks aboard the RIS Shadowhawk.

Saeihr-Hveith 20901.10

Officially our last mission was another routine shakedown cruise in which we conducted a ground rescue simulation, and target practice in the Sal'rin system.

This ground rescue simulation unfortunately cost the life of the Shadowhawk’s Ih'hwi'saehne, Arrain Domaere and very nearly cost me mine.

While not at liberty to reveal the events surrounding the death of Arrain Domaere, I can say that her death wasn’t in vain or empty. She died in service of the Stelam Shiar Rihan.

I only knew her a short time and would have very much liked to have gotten to know her better. Arrain Domaere’s death is like an open wound to me. I feel a certain responsibility as I had a chance to save her and couldn’t. But through her death, many others were saved.

The Shadowhawk has had two Ih'hwi'saehne and I’ve signed both their death certificates. I pray to the Elements, I never had to sign a third.

One bright spot regarding this mission was Areinnye s’Jeiai. She is an excellent maenek whose conduct and performance of duties contributed to its success. Had it not been for her, my fate would have been the same as Arrain Domaere’s. I intend to recommend her for a commendation.

This mission has changed me, to what extent, I’m not sure, but I know that I am not the same person I was when it began. Some scars are never seen and some wounds never completely heal.

Computer, end recording and save. Also, erase my previous log entry entered on Saeihr-hveith 20811.16. Voice authorization S’Ten 353536.

erei'Erein S'Van

Saeihr-hveith 20808.07

My promotion to Daise'vriafwen'saehne has proved to be an interesting and challenging experience. Most of the crew are recent Phi'lasasam graduates whom have never experienced true combat beyond the Battle of 1-5-7, myself included. As DVS, it falls to me mold these young men and women into something that resembles the hybridization of science and warfare, an ih'afwe’gekha if you will.

So, to begin this process I have started with what I know best, the science, and have tried to adapt it to best serve the Shadowhawk and, more importantly, the Galae. I’ve been accepting research proposals from my team and, as of late, have even begun to receive proposals and suggestions from scientists within the Ministry of Science. The latter is most likely in some part due to my father’s influence.

In all, the process had been quite illuminating; the science crew assigned to the Shadowhawk, while still wet behind the ear, are a relatively smart bunch. Each member of the team has their own skill set and most were all too eager to jump at the chance of getting their own project. Needless to say, I’ve been swamped with work but I’ve managed to come a long way towards a conclusion.

If he accepts, erei’Erein R’Mor will be leading a team to further his research on our cloaking systems. I’ve studied up on some of his past work and, from the looks of things, he has both the drive and know-how to make some decent advancements in the technology. It probably doesn’t hurt that erei’Riov V’Tana has already shown some interest in his work too.

As for the other research projects, I have not made a decision. Most likely, the ones I do pick will be kept specifically within the context of the Shadowhawk, for the time being. Issues have already presented themselves as a direct result of some of our more generalized research projects. The remaining projects will undoubtedly focus on the ships offensive and defensive capabilities, and the number of proposals I have covering these two areas is more than sufficient to last for a while.

Sahhae ohrain.*

*End Log

Saeihr-hveith 20810.31

Another shakedown mission has managed to become sidetracked. It seems the Elements would prefer that this rather green crew, myself included, get their experience from actual life or death situations than the relative safety of a training mission.

In this instance, we received a distress call which led us to a research facility that is suffering from some unknown outbreak. A team has been sent down to the planet to help the remaining arahtihir come up with a solution to this problem. Unfortunately we haven’t had much luck as of yet.

Between the ineptitude of some of my own staff, the infection of the Ih'hwi'saehne, and the recent mechanical problems aboard the Shadowhawk, we’ve made very little progress. That said, we have managed to discover the most probable cause of the outbreak, though the specifics are still beyond my grasp.

What we have so far is the presence of a temperature resistant parasite. But in order for a parasite to cause the problems we’ve seen there must be something else at play. This would be much easier if this were in the realm of chemistry rather than medicine. It wouldn’t take much more than the end result of a reaction and one of the components of the initial solution to figure out what we are missing. If we could just apply that to this case, then . . .

The log ends abruptly.

erei'Erein R'Mor

Saeihr-hveith 20808.10

In some respects, I guess I should thank the s'Tei for placing me on the Shadowhawk. Life on the Shiar's grandest warship has not been dull since I arrived.

There was, of course, the battle at the lloannen'galae hdrael. I have no idea why Enriov Tei called us into battle. We certainly weren't ready for it.

I remember being called down to one of the labs during the skirmish. The crew was trying to remove flammable chemicals from the room. It was getting hit pretty hard from the enemy fire. A lucky blast ignited the barrels just as I entered the lab. The last thing I remember is a bright red glow as the smell of cooking meat filled the corridor.

If that wasn't enough, I somehow found myself back on the Bridge several minutes before I left for that particular lab. Needless to say, I remained to find out what happened. A series of black holes apparently disrupted the flow of space-time and sent us back in time. Everyone recalled the events leading up to the destruction of the ship.

If that wasn't enough, a message comes through saying the Enriov was claiming the Shadowhawk as his flagship until he could make it to one of our hdraels. Every time I saw that man, I thought of what his family was doing to mine. The leih must have known there was something between us. Luckily for him, V'Tana asked me to investigate one of the other damaged labs.

The microbiology lab, containing several biological warfare compounds, awaited myself and erei'Erein S'Van. We quickly assessed the extent of the damage: the containment fields had fallen during a power outage on the deck. C. Offlius was found on several surfaces in the lab. Thankfully, Maenek S'Ten cleaned us up so that we didn't become infected. I went back with a proper clean up crew to make sure no one would experience that scare. Hopefully, the crew is a little more wise.

I've certainly got to hand it to the s'Tei. Maybe they are trying to kill me. As much as I hate having to be their plaything, I think I'll live just to spite them and make sure my family's debt is paid.

My shift starts soon. Now that we're out of battle, I need to get back to my research. I believe I found a way to decrease the power output required to sustain a cloak.

Sahhae ohrain.

Saeihr-Hveith 20901.11

The Shadowhawk responded to a distress call from an a research facility supposedly run by the Tal'Shiar. A strange disease had overcome most of the population. Personally, I would have let them rot. Another crisis arose to distract me.

The ship's computer detected a virus trying to gain access to key systems. Those systems were able to repel the virus, so it collected information on any system it could reach. Each new firewall I put into place only caused it to move to another system. Even switching to the secondary computer core was not enough. The virus jumped over and restarted it's function.

A trace on viral program revealed it originated from the facility's communications array. erei'Erein Taris discovered a traitor was behind the plot. He died before he could undo the damage. Taris asked for me to transport down and break the passcode on the computer terminal.

This was easier said than done, as the terminal was rigged to explode if the wrong passcode was entered. A strange and unstable element was infused throughout the facility's walls. In my opinion, this was to ensure complete destruction of the facility in the event of a compromise or the facility was no longer needed. I was only there for a few minutes before the Away Team was ordered to evacuate the base.

I arrived back on the Shadowhawk just before we opened fire on the base. I must admit, I was glad to hear of its demise. The element left nothing standing. With the destruction of the base, the source of the virus stopped transmitting. My antivirus program made short work of the rogue program.

We are heading back to Hdrael 41 before receiving our next mission. I welcome the brief respite. It will give me time to reflect and continue my research.

Computer, end recording and save.

erei'Erein Taris

Saeihr-hveith 20810.29

erein'Erein Taris faiihruri

Rhae ohrain:

We have been contacted by a Tal'Shiar facility, under the guise of an emergency aid request. We know very little about the nature of the emergency, only that it is medical in nature and that quarantine procedures will be in effect. I will be leading the dheno section of the Away Team. I get the sense that neither the Leih nor the Ih'hwi'saehne trust Ssiebh Valis. Which is good, as the Tal'Shiar cannot be trusted.

On that note, I have made sure that Katara is safe. The price was steep, and I will make Hvirr pay for actions. I only hope he survives his mission so that I can exact revenge.

Enough recollection, I must prepare to beam down to the Tal'Shiar facility.

Sahhae ohrain.