USS Reyga - Captain's Log

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100451.8

Reyga is in transit to the edge of the Agrama Sector. We’ve been tasked with supporting the upcoming invasion of the Fvillhaih System by cutting the flow of supplies and reinforcements from Agrama.

We could do this with a blockade, of course, but Starfleet’s come up with something more nuanced – a plan that’ll only require one ship, us, and won’t telegraph the fleet’s next move.

A system near the Imperial supply route has been identified with a degree of stellar instability. The plan is to use Reyga’s metaphasic shields to enter the star’s corona and capitalize on the instability to direct a coronal mass ejection at an Imperial convoy. The idea is, if we time it properly it’ll look like a natural occurrence. One dangerous enough to give the Empire pause before sending another convoy. Plus, the … the cultural significance of being attacked by a star … is likely to make waves.

The key though, is making it so that the convoys need to pass through this system. To do that, we’ll need to enlist the aid of a neutronic storm to block the usual route.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Supplemental

Reyga’s arrived at NGC-1716. Doctor Castillo and Ensigns Ban and Sadaann have departed in Aesop to work on diverting the storm. Commanders Sedai and Kuvak are leading teams here working on the CME plan.

Briefing the senior officers was more contentious than I’d have liked. Doctor Castillo and Sadaann were both pretty upset by the plan. I … I suppose I understand the objection, to some extent. None of us joined Starfleet to kill people, but sometimes it can’t be avoided. I think they do understand that, but it’s the scale and method in this case that gets under the skin. It’s offensive. It’s unprovoked. It’s indiscriminate. There’s no possibility of retreat, or surrender.

On its face, I … I get it. When we’re forced to fight, conventionally, we go through all the steps. Order retreat, fire to disable, ask for surrender. Everything and anything we can do to take as few lives as possible.

But I have to take a step back and remember that we’re at war. We’re in their space. This is not a civilian convoy or innocent bystanders. These are military personnel on their way to attack and kill our allies. If we go the normal route, we’d have to put half the 38th in their path for them to even think about turning back. Our mission is certainly no more deadly than a fleetscale battle. Not to mention that the Empire would then know our objective. We’d lose any advantage, any chance for a less bloody offensive later, and open the door for even more costly fights.

We’re not playing a game. It’s not supposed to be sporting. If we can destroy an enemy convoy and dissuade them from sending another – and if we can do it while only risking one of our ships, then of course we should do it. Why wouldn’t we?

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100452.3

Reyga has entered the corona of NGC-1716. We’re now out of contact with Aesop and can only hope they complete their mission. Commanders Sedai and Kuvak have filled in the science and engineering details for amplifying and targeting a CME. There’s some danger to Reyga, which depends at least in part on timing, but I believe it to be acceptable.

Nothing to do now but complete preparations and await the convoy’s arrival.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Supplemental

…

We did it.

It was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Destruction on a scale rivaling the weapons of the Azedi, or the Iconians. Twenty seven ships destroyed or damaged beyond repair.

The survivors turned back. I don’t … I don’t think they’ll be sending another convoy for some time.

We …

We’re fine. We had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid an ejection of stellar surface material, and suffered some damage. A brief disruption of the shields gave us all a radiation dose, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

We’ll be heading out of the corona to rendezvous with our runabout shortly.

CAPTAIN'S LOG 100455.3

Reyga is in transit back to Cero, after picking up Aesop and our away team. The three of them are in pretty rough shape, and will be for at least a week or two, but they’re thankfully all expected to survive.

Medical is in the process of providing treatment to most of the rest of the crew for minor radiation-related symptoms. The most serious shipboard cases are burns and injuries from EPS ruptures on the lower decks. Incredibly, we’re expecting to walk away with no deaths.

Our underside is where we sustained the majority of our damage. A few sensor pallets are out of commission on the ventral saucer, Deck 9. A transporter emitter and the industrial replicator suffered power surges and had to be shut down. Two escape pods hangars are inoperative, and we’re keeping most of Deck 16 off-limits as a precaution due to outer hull microfractures. Engineering reports that we’ll be fully patched up within a few days.

(( Event • Transcripts: Reyga, Aesop • Related Rumor • AAR ))

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100550.3

Reyga’s arrived at Risa for shore leave. I’m not afraid to admit I need the time off, after everything that’s happened, and I think the same goes for the rest of the crew.

We spent the last days of the war on fleet support missions, mostly anti-cloak picket work. First at Fvillhaih while Admiral Bishop’s task force took on Beta Reticuli. Then between our lines and Tri’Vokil after the ceasefire, getting the diplomats where they needed to go. I’m glad to be able to say it was uneventful, but being constantly on edge takes a hell of a toll.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100599.6

There are a handful of exploration and research missions on the docket that I’m hoping to jump into, to recenter the crew on why we’re out here, but that’s going to have to wait a little while.

Ensign Sadaann has a … personal problem that’s extremely time sensitive. I’ve ordered best speed to M’Talas so that he can resolve it in time.

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100629.9

Ensign Sadaann’s business on M’Talas has concluded. He suffered some minor injuries while on the surface. An accident, I’m told. Nothing a trip to sickbay couldn’t set right. I expect he’ll be back on duty in a day or two. With that impromptu adventure out of the way, we’re en route back to DS13 for a crew rotation.

For the most noteworthy, I’m sorry to say that Doctor Castillo will be leaving us for greener pastures aboard the Dragon. I’m sad to see him go, though I can understand the appeal he might see in moving on to heading up a larger department. While I’d like to believe it’s unrelated, a part of me can’t help but feel like this stems from our … disagreement during the war. In hindsight, maybe I could have reached out to broach the subject directly instead of hoping a little shore leave would cure all ails. But then, he didn’t make a point to come see me after the fact either, so maybe it wouldn’t have mattered in the end. In any case. Lieutenant Mirren is going to cover CMO duties for the time being.

Most of the rest of the transfers are standard rotations. A note on the bridge staff, we are picking up a new helmsman, Ensign Idrael, fresh from the academy. I swear, they’re getting younger every year.

(( Transcripts: Mandated Checkup, Time to Tell The Captain, A Visit From The Captain, The Logical Chaperones, I Want Him Back by 1900
• Event • Related Story ))

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100738.9

Reyga is conducting a survey near the Renovamen Cluster. Despite moderate traffic around the cluster’s boundaries, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the interior. Gravimetric shear and stellar radiation reduce sensor resolution and disrupt long range communications. Flying through the soup is a real navigational challenge, so it’s been a good trial by fire for our new helmsman.

Our goal is to map a collection of stars near the rimward end of the cluster, and survey any orbital bodies discovered. Aside from the purely scientific value, the results of our survey may help widen the trade corridor between the edge of Renovamen and the Potter’s Field Anomaly.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100739.5

Nothing of particular interest yet. It’s been slow going, scanning through this soup, and the turbulence has some of the crew on edge. Medical’s treated a few cases of space sickness, but I’ve been assured that there’s no risk to the ship itself, as long as stick to low warp and avoid the largest eddies.

We’re not expected to reach the next star until tomorrow afternoon, so most of the senior staff has gone off duty for the night. Personally, I’m planning on spending some time in the holodeck before turning in.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100744.8

While exploring the Renovamen Cluster, Reyga encountered a strange anomaly that severely impacted the functioning of most ship systems.

Personally, I spent the time trapped in the holodeck, which apparently attempted to run multiple programs simultaneously. It was a … stressful experience. Luckily, the crew performed very well without me, successfully coordinating our escape. Systems have returned to normal and no damage was reported to the ship as a result. There were a handful of minor injuries, but nothing serious.

Strangely, when we went to study the anomaly, we didn’t detect anything at all. Suspecting that it may simply not be detectable, we slowly returned to our previous position and still found nothing. Whatever it was, it isn’t there anymore. Whether it was some kind of temporary effect that dissipated, or something that moved, is anyone’s guess.

(( Event • Transcript • AAR ))

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100780.6

Reyga’s arrived in the D-2137 System for follow-up exploration. The second planet was flagged by unmanned survey probes for the presence of non-natural satellites in orbit. Nothing else stands out in the astrometric report and the planet itself doesn’t seem particularly hospitable, so it’s an interesting anomaly.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Supplemental

We’ve confirmed that the satellites are sentient-made. They appear early space-age in construction, chemical rocket engines and solar panels for power. The orbit’s cluttered with them, many decaying. Obviously, they’ve been unmaintained for quite a while.

Reyga’s moved into a standard orbit to conduct a full planetary survey. While there are no signs of life at present, we have detected the ruins of a civilization. I’m taking an away team to a point of interest on the surface to investigate.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Supplemental

We’ve arrived at some kind of ancient temple. It’s … it’s beautiful, even worn as it is by time. It must have been an incredible sight when it was whole. Statues, carvings in the stone depicting creatures, scenes, people.

I’ve ordered the away team to spread out and start exploring.

PERSONAL LOG Stardate 100781.2

I can’t stop thinking about …

… try again. I can’t stop thinking about the experience I had on the surface. I touched a stone, which somehow transferred a set of memories. A lifetime’s worth, in a few seconds. It’s not-- it’s not literal. Not like watching a holonovel, or even actually living it. More like

feeling it.

I- I miss this kid’s toy. I can’t tell you what it was, I can’t describe playing with it. The more I think about it, the more the details become fuzzy. I don’t know any more about these people than I did yesterday, but

snnhah

god, I miss that toy.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100782.4

I think we’ve found something really special, here. Of course there’s the usual archeology and anthropology studies worth doing, but the memory stones - what we’re calling them informally - represent a whole different kind of insight. Now that we’ve confirmed it’s safe and nondestructive, I’m convinced that Sadaann’s right, they were left here to be experienced. Maybe not specifically for the end of their civilization, but provided we treat them with respect and care, I suspect our use is in keeping with the spirit of their original purpose.

I’m allowing anyone on the crew who wants to volunteer to beam down and touch the stones, and asking them to recount their experience. There’s bound to be valuable insights into the inhabitants and their culture in the experiences, but more than that I want to give the crew the opportunity to engage in a form of exploration that doesn’t come along very often.

Not just seeing something no one in our society’s seen before, but feeling it. It’s something profound, and it’s exactly why we’re out here.

–

Since we have the luxury of taking our time on this survey, I’ve decided it’s a great opportunity to let the junior officers log some leadership time and take point on investigating the satellites and ruins to piece together a picture of the planet’s civilization.

(( Event • Transcript • AAR • Assignments ))

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100931.0

Reyga’s making a pit-stop back at DS13 before continuing on to our next set of missions. In addition to the regular resupply, we’re taking on some unusually sensitive items that’ll require physical transport. Luckily it’s nothing so large that we can’t squeeze it into a runabout, so we’ll be sending Aesop on a cargo run rather than going through the hassle of docking.

The most noteworthy item on the list is the 52 liters of bio-mimetic gel. Aside from being illegal for civilians to possess, this stuff can be hazardous and it’s highly regulated, so we’ll need to send along some specialized personnel.

I know just the team…

CAPTAIN'S LOG Supplemental

It seems we have something of a mystery on our hands. There was apparently some sort of mix-up with the restricted cargo. According to the initial report, our crate of bio-mimetic gel instead contained 52 disks of vacuum-desiccated Ferengi remains. The correct crate was apparently recovered by Lieutenant Sono after some effort, and we’ve wound up with both the Ferengi disks and the gel onboard.

The security report on this one should be interesting!

CAPTAIN'S LOG Supplemental

It seems we have something of a mystery on our hands. There was apparently some sort of mix-up with the restricted cargo. According to the initial report, our crate of bio-mimetic gel instead contained 52 disks of vacuum-desiccated Ferengi remains. The correct crate was apparently recovered by Lieutenant Sono after some effort, and we’ve wound up with both the Ferengi disks and the gel onboard.

The security report on this one should be interesting!

Security report is in. The second crate, with the Ferengi remains, was addressed to a Lieutenant Vehl who had no knowledge of it at all. Lieutenant Sono doesn’t think she’s behind it, more likely just caught up in whatever the scheme is.

The missing crate was found in an empty docking bay, and the cannisters of bio-mimetic gel themselves were found stuffed into a plasma conduit. I feel like this raises more questions than it answers, though. We were only able to recover the gel because the would-be thief failed to properly align the wall panel, preventing the conduit from activating - if not for that, the cannisters would have been destroyed. Given its value, I can’t imagine why someone would go to the trouble of stealing it and bringing it to the threshold of the docking bay, only to try to destroy it rather than just take it and leave.

The only suggestion so far seems to be that maybe it was a misdirect, hoping we’d turn our attention elsewhere and leaving them free to collect the cannisters later. In case that’s it, Starbase Security is monitoring the docking bay in question and will be ready to detain anyone who tries to access it.

In the meantime, since it was our cargo that someone tried to swipe, I’ve given Lieutenant Sono the go-ahead to run an investigation.

(( Event • Event Transcript • AAR • Security Report • Relevant Comm ))

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 100960.3

The investigation into the biomimetic gel crate is ongoing, and I trust Lieutenant Sono has things well in-hand. I’m especially relieved that Lieutenant Vehl doesn’t seem to be the culprit, because she’s just been assigned as our new Chief Medical Officer. That would’ve been pretty awkward. I need to make a point to say hello, once we get get underway.

Speaking of getting underway, Reyga’s been assigned to follow up on a mission in the Doza Sector’s Kelt Region. I just finished putting together a briefing for the crew, but I have to say I’m pretty disappointed with the events that led up to our involvement out there. There’s a feeling of urgency from some officers to remove – or even exterminate – these insectoid creatures, in order to get at the station’s data. The possibility that they might be an intelligent life form doesn’t seem to have even been considered until the second away team, but the third team still went in with the intention of forcibly relocating them. If they are intelligent, we’ll have the added task of convincing them that we come in peace.

At any rate, it’ll be good to let the science department sink their teeth into something other than stellar surveys.

(( Assignment • Shipboard Message ))

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 101068.6

Reyga is en route to the Malrion-6e System, with two separate investigations ongoing. Buckle up, this’s a long one.

But first, a note on a staffing change. I’ve reassigned Ensign Sadaann from Ops to Engineering. He … originally requested a transfer to Tactical, but he seemed to be just taking a shot in the dark - anything but his current job. I’m still struggling to get a handle on the Ensign. He’s a bright kid, but constantly tripping over his own feet. He says he feels like Ops was too overwhelming and – I mean, of course I understand that, it’s a tough job, but I was hoping the responsibility of being a bridge officer would push him to succeed, rather than drown.

I’m hoping maybe he’ll thrive in Engineering, following a more regimented career path, without changing work fields entirely. I’d like to think Reyga isn’t exactly a high-stress posting for most officers, but we’re not an academy annex either. If it doesn’t work out in Engineering and he’s intent on a division change, I’m afraid I might have to recommend a transfer for him. I’d hate to do it, but I feel like I have an obligation to try to give him the best chance at success, in whatever he decides he wants to do with his life.

–

Our primary mission for the past few weeks has been a study of a colony of insectoid creatures living on a derelict space station, which are blocking access to the station’s databanks. Our results indicate that the creatures are unlikely to be sentient - which means the original plan of relocating them to allow use of the station is going to be back on the table. Though the creatures have been non-aggressive with us during our study, they have previously had hostile reactions to certain actions taken by away teams from other vessels.

Admiral Bishop’s last message on the matter implied the use of force, which I believe to be unwarranted. As a result, I’ve decided to push the envelope of our mission parameters a bit and investigate a method of safely and nonviolently relocating the colony, before reporting back to command. The biggest hurdle we face is also the most promising potential solution: the strange crystal structure present on the station, which interferes with the functioning of our technology while having some sort of effect on the creatures’ behavior. We believe it may be possible to use the crystal, or another like it, to effect their relocation.

Thus, our destination of Malrion-6e. That’s where another of these crystal structures was first discovered, this one on a planet surface. Commander Kuvak’s going to lead a study of it with the aim of figuring out how we can work around its effects to potentially move it or bring it aboard. Relocating the planetbound crystal to the station was my first idea, but it seems wiser to simply use it to gain experience in a safe environment and then return and utilize the one already on the station.

Meanwhile, we sent out some probes - and then recon shuttles - to survey the area around the derelict station. The most significant discovery was a colony of similar insects living inside an asteroid. This confirms their ability to live and potentially travel through space on their own, and also that they do not rely on the crystal structure to survive. While we’re working on the crystal project, we’ll also be choosing a suitable relocation candidate so that’ll be prepared by the time we’re ready to attempt it.

–

Meanwhile MEANWHILE, Lieutenant Sono’s investigation into the … strange circumstances regarding our biomimetic gel shipment has continued. She took an away team to follow a lead and returned with three suspects in custody. Along with their ship, which was towed into our shuttle bay. I’m told one of them offered to cooperate with the investigation, so I’m hopeful they’ll have some answers for me soon.

(( Event: Something Doesn’t Gel • Transcripts: Event, Follow-up, Sickbay, Manun, Karl ))
(( Event: A Bug’s Life? • AAR • Transcripts: Event, Follow-up ))

[kermit]

CAPTAIN'S LOG Stardate 101144.1

Reyga has arrived at Malrion-6e to begin study of the unknown crystal structure, with the goal of discovering if we can overcome its technology-neutralizing effects and potentially transport it aboard for use in relocating the Kelt Insectoids.

We’ve set up a base camp at a safe distance from the crystal, from which teams will proceed closer for further investigation.

CAPTAIN'S LOG Supplemental

The away team’s reported back that the crystal itself may be a form of intelligence, possibly even life. Apparently it was capable of providing ‘responses’ to stimuli in several formats, and demonstrated an understanding of mathematics. It also displayed symbols which may represent a language, but further study will be required to establish a translation matrix. Commander Kuvak recommended that we gather data from the second crystal on the space station, to expedite the process.

Personally, I’m not entirely convinced that the crystal is alive, and not simply a form of computer interface, but I don’t think it’s inappropriate to err on the side of caution in these cases. In any case, it’s time to report our findings to command.

I’ve sent Aesop down to reinforce the basecamp and support a longer-term away team. We’ll be leaving them on the surface to continue the study over the next few weeks while Reyga attends to other duties.

(( AAR: Crystal Investigation • Transcripts: Main, Unrelated Bear Attack • Report to Command ))