UFS Astraios Starlogs

UFS Astraios: Black Tides

Authors: LT David7 Bravin & LT Poison Toocool

Stardate 120120: the Commanding Officer of SS Astraios, UF Starfleet's base in the Gamma Quadrant, receives an urgent request for assistance from a planet in the FGC - 5002997 system, stating that their main habitation dome had been damaged during bad weather and they were losing life support. The Norway Class cruiser USS Mak'ala NCC-64993 was immediately dispatched to render assistance. On arrival at FGC-1, the Mak’ala was faced with warship from the neighbouring planet FGC-2, evidence of erupting hostilities between the two worlds. After negotiating terms and conditions with the Captain of the warship, a medical team from the Mak’ala was permitted to beam down to FGC-1 to give assistance, followed by a team of engineers to help repair the damaged dome.

The Intrepid Class USS Argonaut NCC-74398 was then ordered to carry an ambassador to the FGC system, to mediate diplomatic talks between the parties. Just as the Intrepid Class vessel entered the system the FGC-2 warship left orbit, and there was an explosion in the part of the dome that was being repaired, killing some of the repair crew and injuring others. Assistance was again offered and the Argonaut remains in the system, investigating the problems and attempting to broker peace between the two neighbouring planets.

Stardate 120209: SS Astraios receives a repeating signal on long range comms from an Antares class freighter claiming to be travelling to Treman. They are asking for urgent assistance due to sickness on board. Their chief engineer is in a coma and they are losing power and may drift into the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the Takaar Nebula... they are most certainly off course. The Norway Class cruiser USS Mak'ala NCC-64993 is ordered to intercept the freighter and offer assistance.

Arriving alongside the cargo vessel 'The Starfish', the Mak’ala sent a medical team and an engineering team across to render medical assistance and help repair the ship’s engines. It soon became apparent that the freighter’s crew were suffering a form of sleeping sickness. When members of the away team also became sick, everyone was beamed off the Starfish and into quarantine aboard the Mak’ala.

The freighter was completely sterilised to ensure that the causative organism was destroyed, and a thorough inspection of the ship was conducted whilst its crew were in quarantine. The search revealed that the Starfish was carrying contraband as well as leaking containers of bacteria that was the cause of the sickness among the crew - it was a fair assumption that the bacteria was destined to be used in some form of germ warfare. This information was relayed back to UFS Astraios and a covert mission was authorised to find out who was expecting delivery of the freighter’s cargo and where it was destined. A special team of officers from the Mak’ala was selected to undertake a covert mission aboard the Starfish.

Stardate 120311: An away team, disguised as Starfish crew, beamed down to the planet Treman and eventually made contact with the intended purchasers of the cargo. After some difficult negotiations, containers of bacteria were finally exchanged for latinum. The buyer didn't know the bacteria had been rendered harmless during the complete sterilisation of the freighter; also high tech transmitters had been placed inside the containers so that their final destination can be known.

Suspicions are that the bacteria may have been purchased by agents working for the government of the planet FGC-2 and that the intended target is the habitation domes on the planet FGC-1. The use of germ warfare in a sealed environment such as a habitation dome would be highly effective. A population that was overcome by Sleeping Sickness would be unable to put up much resistance against an invading force, and no damage would be done to the dome structure. Life support would remain intact, leaving the infrastructure free for use or colonization. Only time will tell if these suspicions are correct.

Further, a thorough search of the Starfish produced banned weaponry, cargo manifests and other documents that reveal clear evidence of a large and active pirate ring operating here. The security of the Astraios Sector is threatened by these activities and a thorough report will be made to Starfleet Command in this respect. 

Stardate 110312: Commanding Officer Poison Toocool has ordered sector security levels raised to DefStat 2: all shore leaves are withdrawn and the fleet is gathering at classified coordinates. All transmissions are now secured and no unauthorised ship movement is allowed.

((UF Starfleet Astraios is located on 3rd Rock Grid and has been operational for a year. Any member of the community is welcome to visit us and have a tour of the colony & space station, and observe us on mission.  If you are interested in joining us to roleplay as a Starfleet officer, please contact Captain Poison Toocool in SL or 3RG for more information.))